Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Nevertheless, neither the Minister nor the Taoiseach has had anything to say other than to defend what went before. It does not necessarily fall at the Minister's feet, but his own Department has been behind the scenes on this. That is surprising in view of much of the documentation that came from John Moran, the former Secretary General, wherein it seemed he had a very adversarial discourse with IBRC. It then transpires that there were packs associated with various board meetings that disappeared or are still floating in an in-tray, an out-tray or a parked tray. I do not know where they are, but maybe the Minister can help us with them. The average person could not be regarded as cynical for feeling that there was an unholy mess and a lack of desire on the part of the Government to address it appropriately.

The big issue for me in relation to Denis O'Brien is his significant control of the media. What he does not own, he has threatened. That is wrong. He is a businessman and I have no issue with him making vast sums of money. The best of luck to him. However, when he seeks to use his influence in the media and his very strong approach to litigation to silence the House, it steps over the line. It steps over the threshold of acceptability, or should from a Government perspective also. The Labour Party has talked a great deal over the last number of years about ensuring a diverse media and ensuring diversity in its ownership, but it has sat on its hands through two successive Ministers and failed to address the issues. I am not surprised that Fine Gael, as others have said about its relationship with Denis O'Brien, did not want to rattle that cage in advance of an election, but the Labour Party has been abysmal in the protection of free speech. It is appalling.

The Government's acceptance of the necessity of establishing a commission of inquiry was too late. The fact that it has decided not to allow for an interim report in advance of the next election speaks volumes as to why it ducked and dived for the past number of months on this issue.

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