John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)

It is important I point out to Deputy Kenny what while recognising as Chair the necessity for political accountability, and its importance for any democracy, it is important to recognise that this House has delegated certain matters to the tribunal which is engaged in a public inquiry into very serious matters. It is not possible for me as Chair, to allow the proceedings of that tribunal to be replicated here while recognising, nonetheless, the need to ensure that there is political accountability. In other words, it would not, for example, be proper for a question to be asked or answered as to the veracity or otherwise of a given statement which was made at the tribunal. We cannot go into that type of detail here and Deputy Kenny will understand that as well as I do. I call on the Taoiseach.

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