Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to repeat the questions that I put to the Tánaiste and which I asked him to pass on to the Taoiseach, to get information from the Minister for Justice and Equality. Those questions concerned whether he was stopped by a Garda, if his behaviour was cordial, and if he was treated the same as anybody else. Was he cautioned and did he attempt to use Dáil privilege? His convoluted answer that took five and a half hours last Friday, and his ten-page speech last night - one page of which referred to the facts - did not answer the questions.

Last night, the Minister fudged the question about whether he used constitutional privilege. He needs to be explicit on that. I know he did and it has been put to me that he did. In his capacity as Minister, he can ask the Garda Commissioner to ascertain directly from the gardaí on duty what exactly occurred. Until he does this, he must realise that by implication he is accusing the gardaí of malicious lies. I do not say that lightly. The Minister's behaviour has been outrageous.

Last night, Government TDs talked about a reforming Minister, but he is one of the most dangerously unfit Ministers I have ever seen in the Department of Justice and Equality. For a long time I have questioned whether the Justice and Defence portfolios should be under his aegis.

I want to re-echo what Deputy Healy said. The Minister treated the people of south Tipperary with disdain, as he treats most people. The Minister has questions to answer but he has not answered them. I believe that in the fullness of time the truth will come out. The Minister knows what he did. Maybe his passenger on the night could clarify what happened, if he can not.

No suggestion was ever made by me that the Minister had alcohol taken. That was never mentioned to anybody, so the Minister should not try to muddy the waters like he did with the dates and everything else. His behaviour was totally unacceptable as it is most days in the Chamber. The Minister talked about Bills, but the only Bills he introduced are ones to create misery.

The Minister has no respect and has not supported the Garda Síochána or given it the tools of the trade to do its job. The Minister should have respect for the Garda. The Minister almost single handedly defeated the last referendum on the Houses of the Oireachtas inquiries. He knew more than ten former Attorneys General. He is a fount of knowledge and everything else.

I call Deputies Shatter, Hogan and Reilly the troika or cabal of Ministers. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly was here last night giving Deputy Shatter a splendid defence and calling him a reforming Minister. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, is unfit for office. He should answer the questions he was asked. I am surprised the Taoiseach has not asked him. Where is the report card he had for the Minister? He is out of paint or his pages are full up. The Minister's record is damning. He can look behind him for solace. All those backbenchers who are so proud of him should go out and find the facts themselves. The truth will out and the Minister will be shamed. To hide behind his colleagues-----

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