Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The same applies in this case but Sinn Féin has not done that. The Sinn Féin Deputies have marched in around their party leader with their blind loyalty. It is almost cult-like. It reminds us of David Koresh and the ambush at Waco in 1993. It is absolutely startling and frightening, when one hears a fine parliamentarian like Deputy Regina Doherty explain a fear about making information known to our authorities. That was not contrived. That is born out of the fear and intimidation inflicted on Maíria Cahill, who is a brave individual. It is absolutely disgusting to think that a woman who makes these kind of allegations is threatened with a court martial and not believed. It is literally beyond belief.

Over the past few weeks one spokesperson after another, including one a short while ago, has urged anyone with information to go to the authorities. These spokespersons will not apply that standard to themselves. Any individual who makes a victim of rape march into a room to be confronted by her rapist is quite frankly subhuman. It was a kangaroo court. We have legitimate institutions in this country. It is appalling at a human level to think that in a functioning democracy we would begin to make light of this situation, that we would effectively try to shut down organs of the media. I know as politicians we will not always have a pleasant relationship with the media but our politics requires that. We need to allow journalists do their work without fear of intimidation. There were two high profile cases in this country in recent years where that was not the case and it resulted in the deaths of two very fine journalists. To begin to portray this argument in a light that sneers at the good work of journalists and effectively tries to suppress them or shut them down is literally beyond belief.

There is an uglier side to all of this. At the heart of this debate is a lady who no longer lives at home, who was denied a university education. Let the record of this House reflect long after we are all gone that the Sinn Féin members have inflicted an evil on that fine individual, Maíria Cahill, and for that every one of them should hang their heads in shame.

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