Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will take two minutes, Deputy Coppinger will take two minutes and Deputy Boyd Barrett will take four minutes.

People tuning in will be a little bemused to hear that the Taoiseach is looking for a pat on the back for telling the truth in the Dáil today and that it is some sort of event that is newsworthy. However, they have to ask themselves which version of the truth was he telling. Deputy Adams referred to three versions of the story in three days but we have had three versions of the story today. At 2.16 p.m., in answer to Deputy Micheál Martin, the Taoiseach stated that the Minister, Deputy Zappone, told him before the Cabinet meeting last Tuesday that she met with him and they discussed allegations that were false that were given to Tusla. At 2.32 p.m., the Taoiseach answered me and stated: "It is not true to say that I had any information about the existence of that prior to the Cabinet meeting in Government Buildings". That was in response to me saying that he knew about Tusla. With regard to the Minister, Deputy Zappone, not only does she state: "I told him that I met the McCabes and we discussed false allegations of sexual abuse made against Sergeant McCabe to Tusla"-----

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