Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

We are on the same side as the Taoiseach on this one. Maybe himself and Deputy Costello would arrange for public readings of the full text at St. Luke's some evening or perhaps take it chapter by chapter.

I wish to ask the Taoiseach about the Immigration, Protection and Residency Bill in the context of the story on the front page of The Irish Times today about the manner of the discharge of functions of the tribunal. I wish to ask about the assertion by our former colleague, Michael O'Kennedy, that his record and that of others was misrepresented before the Supreme Court by the chairman of the tribunal. Does the Taoiseach know that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has very uniquely provided in that Bill that the current chairman shall continue ex officio under the new arrangements provided for in the Bill? Does the Taoiseach have any reservations about the current chairman continuing in that role, given what has been asserted this morning, if that version is correct?

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