Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

First, I say to Deputy Gilmore that I reject again the assertion made forcefully by him this morning that the Government will in some way ensure that the rigours of the law or the full mechanisms that are available for investigation will not be applied or applied independently, respecting the independence of those offices. I reject that. They will be applied. I have confidence in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. He is the person undertaking the investigation. We have ensured it is an independent power of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to decide whether an examiner or any person be appointed by the High Court. That is a matter for the Director of Corporate Enforcement independently of any political direction or control and rightly so. The suggestion, therefore, made by the Deputy that something less is being done than should be done is not correct. One either accepts the integrity of the people who hold these offices or one does not. I happen to accept their integrity. I have heard them praised in other contexts for work they have done in other areas in the past, but obviously the political opportunity to suggest otherwise——

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