Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Eamon Ryan and Seamus Healy.

On Tuesday, I said this process cannot and must not be a ready-up between the Government and Fianna Fáil. Regrettably, that is what it has turned out to be. It is a very serious error to proceed on this basis in forcing through the terms of reference without allowing adequate time for consideration of their implications. The reason for doing this is to put the lid on this episode so that the Government, over the coming weekend, can refuse to answer questions that the public is legitimately asking and hide behind the proposed tribunal. It is unseemly for both groups to behave in this manner. It is also extremely disingenuous, given the agreement that was reached at the Business Committee on Tuesday, on foot of a proposal from Deputy Clare Daly to defer a decision on the terms of reference until next week in order to allow adequate consideration and for groups to take legal advice. This is far too serious a matter to rush it through.

It is inevitable that we will rue the day that this action has been taken in haste. If one acts in haste it is inevitable that one will repent at one's leisure. That is what is going to happen. When the Cregan inquiry was rushed through, we had to come back to grant further powers to the tribunal in order for it to carry out its work adequately. There is no reason to rush this through this week. There is no difficulty whatsoever with waiting until next week so that everybody has adequate time to consider the issues. If the Tánaiste had done that, as had been agreed by all parties, it would have allowed time for her to respond to the six questions that were raised by Sergeant McCabe. He requested an immediate response to the six questions, and his legal adviser set out the legal basis on which Ministers could respond to them. Forcing this through now provides a perfect excuse for not responding to them.

I want the Tánaiste to clarify whether she has consulted with Sergeant McCabe and his legal adviser yesterday or today.

3 o’clock

I assume that she has-----

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