Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Once again the Taoiseach avoided my question. I asked whether he agreed that the sole reason for the protracted nature of this controversy is the fact that the Minister did not deal with the scandal decisively in the first instance. The Taoiseach cannot have it both ways. He praised the work of the Committee of Public Accounts before saying the investigation into this matter must be truly independent, the implication being that the committee is not truly independent. Only last week, however, he referred to it as the watchdog for the public.

As well as the monetary issues involved, the Committee of Public Accounts also has a responsibility to consider good governance. I ask the Taoiseach not to join the Minister in undermining the rights of Deputies to raise all of these matters in the appropriate committee. He should take the opportunity now, rather than making snide and totally inaccurate remarks about me, to put on the public record that the Committee of Public Accounts is performing an important public service.

I will go further and state that the Garda whistleblowers are also performing an important public service. Does the Taoiseach agree that if the Minister is doing the right thing now, he would have done an even better thing if he had taken action when this controversy first broke more than two years ago? Will the Taoiseach give an assurance that the Garda Ombudsman Commission will have the power to question the Garda Commissioner and will be given full and unfettered access to the force's PULSE computer system?

Tá a fhios ag an Taoiseach go ndeirtear gur í cumhacht na ceisteanna a chur an rud is bunúsaí i gcomhair dul chun cinn a dhéanamh. Tá a fhios sin ag an Taoiseach. Tá sé tábhachtach dúinne mar Teachtaí Dála a bheith in ann daoine a cheistiú. Sin an fáth go bhfuilimid anseo. Tá an ceart againn ceisteanna a chur ar dhaoine agus is léir sin. Táim sásta i ndiaidh freagra an Taoisigh go bhfuil sé an-soiléir go bhfuil an ceart sin faoi bhagairt. Tá an ceart atá ag Teachta Dála ceisteanna a chur faoin choiste faoi bhagairt anois leis an oidhreacht seo agus i ndiaidh freagra an Taoisigh.

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