Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's claim that the Government only found out about legal difficulties with the commission of investigation into IBRC does not have any credibility. The reason it does not have any credibility is that every time issues have been raised about IBRC the Taoiseach has done what he did today: he has stonewalled.

In 2012 Deputy Pearse Doherty and I submitted a range of parliamentary questions about IBRC. The responses from the Government, including the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, were obstructive and unhelpful. That is despite the fact, as it later emerged, that the Minister for Finance was briefed by his own officials on their concerns about this deal and other deals involving IBRC. It is despite IBRC's having sold Siteserv to a Denis O'Brien company at a loss to taxpayers of at least €105 million. It was only as a result of An Teachta Catherine Murphy's efforts that we found out the O'Brien company was not the highest bidder. The Government would not tell us that. The Government also resisted the calls for a commission. Then, when the Government eventually published the terms of reference for the commission, I wrote to the Taoiseach on 4 June pointing out that the terms of reference did not deal comprehensively with all the issues the commission would need to examine. An Teachta Mary Lou McDonald met the Minister for Finance and made the same case. The Taoiseach was well warned that the scope of the investigation was not wide enough to carry out the necessary examinations.

What advice did the Taoiseach receive from the Attorney General in respect of the commission's ability to examine confidential or privileged documents? Did this include documents from the Department of Finance? I am keen for the Taoiseach to repeat what he said in his statement a moment ago, because I do not want to make a mistake about it. He said that the commission had made a judicial determination on the admissibility of documents from the special liquidator. I heard that much. I think the Taoiseach went on to say "and the Department of Finance". Will the Taoiseach repeat that statement for me before I come back with a supplementary question?

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