Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge that there has been active engagement among the Whips in dealing with the issue of accountability. I welcome the fact that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges will tomorrow address a report from the Government Whip. I hope a level of consensus will be achieved and the Government will not use its massive majority to ram it through the House. I welcome the involvement of the Ceann Comhairle and Committee on Procedure and Privileges in that process.

I refer to the two points of principle made by party leader before he had to leave the Chamber under protest. Both issues go to the heart of the issue of accountability. The first related to the manner in which the Government is establishing Cabinet sub-committees and then hiding behind the cloak of Cabinet confidentiality. The second relates to the inordinate number of questions tabled to the Taoiseach which are being transferred. My party leader cited the example of a question put to the Taoiseach on a statement he made to the Gaelic Athletic Association which was subsequently transferred to a line Minister who was not present at the function in question, did not hear what was said and, therefore, could not respond. In such circumstances, how can the Taoiseach claim he is being accountable to the Dáil on the specific matter raised? Irrespective of for how long the Government Chief Whip replies to the question, it cannot be addressed without the Taoiseach being present.

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