Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Independents and members of the Technical Group are elected on behalf of the public and are doing a good job in trying to find answers.

I thank the Members opposite who contributed on the motion. This issue was highlighted by the committee. The motion will remove an obstacle to its work. The sharing of information by the Central Bank with the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis will not be possible until the changes to the Standing Orders have been passed by both Houses. The changes will amend the Standing Orders to accommodate the constitutional position of the privilege of Members of the Oireachtas, which is not the case for any other person who may disclose confidential information.

The banking inquiry is examining and investigating in the full light of public hearings some aspects of our recent history that are not among our proudest moments as an independent nation. In the coming months, the committee will reflect on some of the darkest days of the economy and the people. The Deputies and Senators on the committee are carrying out their work at the request of both Houses. It is our duty to remove any obstacle to their investigation where we see fit.

The matters being investigated by the banking inquiry had devastating consequences for everyone. The economic recovery that we are now witnessing, with unemployment rates continuing to fall and our national finances improving, has come about as a result of the people's sacrifices. It is the Government's priority to secure and rebuild our economy. However, ongoing economic recovery does not mean that we can afford to ignore the mistakes of the past. People are entitled to understand the origins of the crisis and, most important, to ensure that the same mistakes do not recur.

The gateway that the Act and the amendment to the Standing Orders create addresses a key concern of the committee and removes barriers to the Central Bank co-operating with it fully. It is in the interests of the majority of the people that the committee does a successful job. I wish all of its members the best of luck.

To address Deputy Boyd Barrett's points, the committee is acting on behalf of every citizen, be that citizen from Wexford, Donegal, Cork, Kerry or Dublin. Members of the inquiry were elected with a mandate and appointed to the committee to carry out a job, which I am satisfied they are doing to the best of their abilities. It is only right and proper that, as public representatives and elected Members, we remove any obstacle from their path and give them every opportunity to be successful in finding out what happened in the country's darkest days.

Before and after entering the House, Deputy Boyd Barrett and members of the Technical Group have been jumping up and down, so to speak, looking for answers. Now that we are giving the committee the opportunity to find those answers, the Deputy is still not happy. I do not know what he wants.

I commend the motion to the House.

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