Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It states quite clearly in the tribunal report that payments were made to facilitate the granting of a mobile phone licence, but nothing has happened. Tribunal reports are gathering dust but nothing has happened. This is why the public is angry. People are angry because they feel there is something here and they want to know the truth. Let us have the truth. The only way this can come about is through a cold-blooded clinical commission of investigation into this particular transaction.

There are many aspects of this transaction which ordinary people cannot understand. To this day, I still cannot understand how shareholders in a bust company would be paid almost €5 million. I cannot understand why, if there was confidentiality everywhere, share transactions would all of a sudden take on a new meaning. This company was going nowhere and all of a sudden share transactions occurred at a rapid pace and the price was inflated. These two things alone suggest there were issues. What I find most amazing in all of this is that moving on a small bit further we find the involvement of Sierra in the installation of water meters, and the fact it was able to have due diligence and start recruiting personnel before any contracts were awarded. It simply beggars belief that somebody did not know something.

I cannot accept that members of the Government can sit here on their hands and pretend they will establish this investigation and that if there are potential conflicts of interest retired Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill will step in. The very fact a former judge has been appointed to oversee potential conflicts of interest suggests there are conflicts of interest all over the place. Let us be very clear, KPMG is right in the middle of this at every turn and now it is being asked to investigate itself and oversee the overall investigation. It is the special liquidator.

At some stage the Government must understand the anger being expressed on this side of the House is not that of a number of Deputies trying to point score. This goes to the very heart and principle of what this Parliament is about. It is about ensuring people's rights are upheld. The public has a duty to know the full truth of this issue. At the heart of it all is the writing off of €100 million of taxpayers' money. This is the kernel of the issue.

As has been pointed out, while we are having this debate the Cabinet is meeting to put attachment orders on people who are already on the bread line. These people see companies or people riding off into the sunset, picking the carcass of this State. This is simply not good enough. People made allegations in 1995 and were excoriated for doing so. A tribunal was established and made findings but nothing has happened. Are we to say in 2015 that allegations were made, concerns were expressed and a sham investigation was established to sweep this under the carpet? It would be shameful and the Government should do something about it. It should support the motion and ensure the public have confidence in the investigation.

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