Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Does the Taoiseach agree with his Cabinet colleague, the Green Party leader, Deputy John Gormley, that he should have revealed the details of all contacts with Seán FitzPatrick, when the issues and the questions were first put to him in the House? Having up to that point withheld the information that he had received a telephone call from Seán FitzPatrick on St. Patrick's day 2008, while in Malaysia, and also not revealing the detail of the fact that he had shared a golf outing and evening meal with him and others, in July of that same year, why did the Taoiseach think it was relevant then to make the point that he entered into a wedding reception area at the invitation of this Deputy, which I acknowledge he readily agreed to do and this was appreciated by all concerned on the day? This is an important fact to put on the record of the House again. However, only last Sunday, on "The Week in Politics" programme, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Ó Cuív, could not finish his second sentence without repeating that clear irrelevancy.

Will the Taoiseach not accept that the offering of that information against the fact that he has withheld real, important and critical information, and has yet to shed even a scintilla of light on what it is that he may have discussed with Seán FitzPatrick and Mr. Fintan Drury or whomever, is clearly a further Fianna Fáil attempt to muddy the waters and to divert attention from the real core issues? The Taoiseach should make no mistake about it but that the core issue is his suitability, his credibility as Taoiseach and that of this Government.

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