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

There should be no big deal about the Taoiseach confirming whether he was called to appear before the commission a second time. I find it difficult to understand the reason he refuses to confirm that. There is no law that says he cannot say whether he has attended the commission. The law under which the commission of investigation was established does not state that. It does state that a person may not go into the content of the evidence given, but no one has asked that the Taoiseach do so. As I understand it, the Taoiseach was only asked if he been recalled by the commission or if he appeared before it a second time. It is clear from comments made by the commission spokesperson, who is a solicitor, and the law itself that there is nothing stopping the Taoiseach confirming whether he was called to appear before the commission a second time. It is important that a Taoiseach does not cite something that is not true. It is not true for the Taoiseach to say it is an offence for him to confirm whether he appeared before the inquiry a second time. The Taoiseach has stated publicly that it would be an offence to do so. It would not. The Taoiseach should withdraw that public assertion. As leader of this country he needs to state clearly what the law actually states and not otherwise.

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