Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

On a point of clarification, Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste a very important question on the compellability of witnesses appearing before committees of this House. In her reply she said that if the Government received a request it would consider the matter. My understanding is that the Government made its views on this matter known through the Chief Whip last weekend when he said the Government would be favourably disposed to such a request. Given the urgency of this matter and that a very small elite group of people regard themselves as being above and beyond the law and unable to come before the committees of this House to answer questions from the elected Members of Dáil and Seanad Éireann, would the Tánaiste not agree that the Government needs to make an urgent decision and that legislation is required to ensure our committees have proper powers in order to ask appropriate questions to persons they chose to request to appear before those committees?

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