Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the minute I have, I rise to speak in favour of Deputy Alan Shatter as Minister for Justice and Equality. I direct Members opposite to listen back to the Marian Finucane show of last Sunday. The guests were James MacGuill, a solicitor, Richard Moore, advisor to a former Fianna Fáil justice Minister, Harry McGee and Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness. They joined Ms Finucane to talk through recent events as reported in the Sunday newspapers. The discussion on Deputy Shatter was reasonable, measured and stuck to the substantive issues. The contributors were not hysterical or opportunistic.

Insinuations have been made that Deputy Shatter knew about the recordings and failed to act. Deputy Shatter's record disproves that. James MacGuill outlined Deputy Shatter's work on solicitor-client confidentiality during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He outlined that Deputy Shatter's record on this was good. Our Minister was to the fore in guaranteeing the right of access to lawyers and faced down some of the accession states which had become accustomed to eavesdropping. Some of them wished to continue to facilitate it but a complete prohibition was put through under the Irish Presidency thanks to Deputy Shatter.

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