Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Taoiseach to raise this matter because it is fundamental to the Oireachtas and the manner in which we do business and also to the relationship between the ECB and the Irish Parliament.

The Taoiseach will be aware that last June the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, set up a panel of barristers to review more than 40 cases that families and others believed were not properly investigated. It was felt that the Garda did not do enough to deal with certain issues. The review was to take three months, but six months have passed and many families are anxious for at least an update. For example, the family of Shane Farrell, who was killed by a man with more than 40 previous convictions, approached me on this issue. Will an independent inquiry be set up as a result of the work of the review panel? When will the review panel publish its work? When will the criminal procedure Bill, which is to assist with the reform of pre-trial processes, be published and debated in the House?

When can we expect the housing regulation Bill? Threshold has criticised the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 as a threat to people renting properties in the long term because the Act allows landlords to remove tenants, re-advertise and seek higher rents. Many people continue to suffer because of this. The housing regulation Bill is meant to provide a regulatory framework for approved housing bodies. To ease the rental worries of thousands of people, can the Taoiseach outline when the Bill will be published?

See this speech in context