Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I most emphatically did not refer to the people expressing concerns as being in the category to which Deputy Higgins refers when I said there are some people who are never happy unless they are unhappy. I was referring to Deputy Higgins and people who think like him who dismiss out of hand the fact a measure has been born out of the public consultation process and is designed to respond to the concerns of citizens and who engage in allegations about the supposed right wing ideology of two members of the panel. For the life of me, I cannot see what their supposed ideology or philosophy has got to do with this. The question is whether they are eminent citizens of probity who will ensure the process is conducted with integrity and that it is fair, authoritative, objective and complete. This expert panel, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Ms Catherine McGuinness, is not charged with making recommendations to me about what should or should not be done about the build out of necessary grid in Ireland. It is charged with the responsibility to ensure the studies we are doing in response to the public consultation are carried out in a proper fashion and that they can be relied on in terms of the professional competence, authority and fairness of the reports. I am not putting in an expert panel to replace a State agency or anything like that. I am putting in a panel to ensure that what is done is done in accordance with best practice and proper principles.

On Deputy Moynihan's question, I agree with him that it is imperative there is co-ordination and co-operation between two Departments that have different responsibilities and that is happening. I assure him of that. However, I cannot take over the function of another Minister. If, say, there was a taxation element to this, I would have to deal with the Revenue Commissioners or the Department of Finance. I cannot take over the responsibility that is reposed in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. I can assure Deputy Moynihan that there is optimum co-operation between the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, and myself on this issue.

See this speech in context