Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will there be a full Whip system in place? The key issue is whether there can be objective analysis of a prospective committee member's interests or of whether he or she has expressed biased opinions in a previous time. We can see how these issues can sometimes play out in the case of jury selection in courts. However, we must be honest about what we are trying to achieve in this Chamber. I have seen nothing yet in the efforts of the Government to try to get to the truth in any matter that it is genuinely interested in trying to unearth what happened or perhaps what did not happen because Deputy Stagg and his colleagues already have a preordained view regardless of what they might say. Most people in the Chamber have a preordained view or have expressed views that would be considered objectively biased.

We need to be very conscious of the emphatic decision of the people in the autumn of 2011. Our track record has not been good in this case. At the time of the Abbeylara judgment, the Ministers, Deputies Howlin and Shatter, left much to be desired in their commentary as responsible members of a committee. A former Member is before the courts taking a case against the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. As that High Court case has not played out yet, we are very much operating in a vacuum. If this is to be a genuine effort, let it be the case. However, as I said in 2011, I believe we are going down a route that the people do not want us to take. We are certainly going down a route that the Constitution does not permit. More importantly, many people will be in the Four Courts trying to vindicate their good name prior to ever appearing before an investigation committee, be that an investigation into banking, Irish Water or any other matter.

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