Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have made it clear in previous interventions today that as far as I am concerned that it is in the interests of this House, the parties in government and the parties opposite that we have a system in place that has public confidence in all respects. I have always believed that should happen in respect of the issues Deputy Ó Caoláin has raised. As far as I am concerned that can and should be done.

On the other matter raised by the Deputy, the purpose of the Government is to ensure that we get on with the job of doing what now needs to be done in the aftermath of what we have seen in the referendum where people are asking that we get on with ensuring that we bring a stability to our public finances. We will bring forward proposals in the coming months in that regard.

As to the specific issues that were raised today, I am not in the business of impugning integrity nor saying things that might meet the populist view of the day on a specific individual. My job is to ensure that we do what is right in respect of those agencies and organisations that are under our aegis. That is what we sought to do. We have to do so lawfully and the contention that we would do otherwise would have risked even greater expense on the taxpayer were we not to do so properly.

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