Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We were alerted to this issue when Deputy Wallace raised it yesterday. I just picked this up as I was sitting here. It was clear to me that it was a serious matter. This is another case of the Government not handling an issue properly. I am sure the Minister wants the debate to go ahead. I am sure that is the case, but it strikes me that the stopping of the debate is denying us the right to say whatever we want about these matters.

I would like to examine the logic of what we are being told. In my remarks earlier, I said that "the claims of Garda whistleblowers and the handling of their allegations of wrongdoing by some members of An Garda Síochána" were appallingly handled by some Ministers, including the then Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter. It could be argued that the judgment I made on the former Minister's handling of this issue was sub judice. I do not want to repeat what I said previously. I want to make the case that a different rule was applied in another case in which legal advice had been given on behalf of a private citizen. When the proceedings in question proceeded here, that citizen - Padraic Wilson - was named here.

I also asked the Taoiseach whether Deputy Shatter or anyone acting on his behalf had been in touch with the Oireachtas and the Ceann Comhairle or whether the High Court or Supreme Court judges in question had requested that no debate or statements take place.

According to the letter from the Taoiseach's Department on behalf of the Chief Whip, it had been advised that the Ceann Comhairle had "indicated". The Taoiseach stated that the Ceann Comhairle had ruled. The simple solution would have been to postpone this debate until next week so that it might be held as quickly as possible. This is the wrong way to handle the issue.

As to having the letter read to us now because we have raised it, what about transparency and changing the way politics works? If we had not raised this issue, we would not have had the letter read to us and we would not have been given the reasons, regardless of whether we agree with them, cited by the Ceann Comhairle. Once again, the Government needs to get its act together in terms of how it orders the business of the Oireachtas. That is the Government's job, not the Ceann Comhairle's. The Ceann Comhairle's job is to ensure that the place is run properly according to the rules. Will the Taoiseach withdraw the motion, re-order it or do whatever he needs to do to ensure that we have a debate on this very important issue?

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