Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

On the previous occasion when the Ombudsman laid a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service considered it. The precedent is that the report goes to the committee. I welcome the fact there will be statements but that does not constitute consideration of the report as requested by the Ombudsman. The conclusions of the previous investigation were that the recommendations in respect of the Revenue Commissioners case should be implemented. The committee that considered it recommended all future recommendations of the Ombudsman's office should be automatically accepted. There is precedent in the manner in which these issues have been dealt with by the House and this should inform how we deal with the matter today. A sterile debate, as proposed by the Government, where there are statements but no detailed forensic examination of the Ombudsman's report is a slight on the Ombudsman's office and undermines public confidence. The fat cats of society can go in the front gate of Government Buildings but the ordinary citizen who has a complaint against the State only has access to the Ombudsman's office to deliver justice. That is what is at stake.

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