Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

——and we will defend them against all quarters. Having listened silently to what other Members had to say perhaps I could be allowed to say what I have to say. One of the things being suggested is that opinions such as those offered by the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, on Fitzwilton v. Mahon are an abuse of the tribunal. This is not correct. As Mrs. Justice Denham said:

The tribunal was established in 1997. The concept behind the establishment of a tribunal is that there be an inquiry into definite matters as a matter of urgent public importance. The fact that the tribunal is still inquiring ten years later is the antithesis of an urgent public inquiry.

That is not the abuse of the tribunal. That is simply a statement by a very eminent Supreme Court judge in respect of how they saw the situation based on the declarations and orders that were sought by Fitzwilton on appeal from the High Court. Let us try to avoid this attempt to consider people having anything to say about the tribunal as being in some way an abuse of the tribunal. It is not an abuse of the tribunal.

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