Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Deputy Collins's motion of no confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality tonight. It is not with pleasure that a party brings forward such a motion. We have been left with little choice by his actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, following his performance in the last two years.

The Minister's Government colleagues and Deputies on the backbenches have concentrated recently on the difficulties people in the country are facing as a reason for us not putting this motion of no confidence before the House. Without doubt the country faces real difficulties but we would be in dereliction of our duty if the Minister could act as he has in the last couple of weeks, particularly the way he has handled the penalty points affair. To take confidential information that he got in private briefing from the Garda Commissioner and use it on national television as a debating point with a political colleague as Minister for Justice and Equality, the person who is supposed to act as an example of how justice should be administered and how police work should be done, and then refuse to admit he was in any way wrong in doing so, and for his Government colleagues to back him to the hilt, is unforgivable.

In recent days we have seen that a much more serious incident took place involving the Minister which he did not highlight and questions remain over that. It is vital tonight that the Minister addresses the points in this speech, particularly the developments today on coverage in the national newspapers, where the Irish Independent seems to have a source indicating what may have happened on that night. It is crucial that the Minister addresses that.

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