Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I want to sum up now briefly but importantly just the same. This is absolutely ridiculous. The Minister of State has just provided a menu in a potential situation that could arise. People in charge of public agencies who should be responsible to the Dáil could bring about a situation amounting to ducks and drakes up to and back from the High Court and so on. We have seen this with the tribunals and how it can absolutely frustrate an attempt to get the truth and the facts in respect of serious issues. It is perfectly simple. If a matter is sub judiceand if discussing it in a committee could prejudice proceedings, then that is fine and no one disagrees with it.

However, does the Minister of State acknowledge that what the Government is providing for in this measure - "any matter which is or has been or may at a future time be the subject of proceedings before a court or tribunal in the State" - is very wide in its application? It is incredible that the Government is including a measure that could be used to frustrate a quest for truth and fact on critical issues that affect taxpayers.

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