Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister think it is acceptable to allow a report like this to be published without anybody from the Government being available to answer questions on it? It is reported the commission will send its report today but there will be no press conference. It is further reported the Irish media travelling abroad today have specifically requested the Taoiseach to have a separate press briefing to that on his meeting with Chancellor Merkel to facilitate the Irish media and he has refused this.

In March 2014, the Taoiseach said he appointed Mr. Justice Fennelly in the interests of having a Garda Síochána that stood up to scrutiny in terms of its competence and professionalism. He seemed concerned back in 2014 about the matters Mr. Justice Fennelly was about to investigate, but today no one is around to answer questions. Is it the case there are no concerns arising from the report on behalf of the Government or the Taoiseach? The Minister said that in the normal course of proceedings a report goes from An Taoiseach to the Attorney General and is then published. The normal course of proceedings is that the Taoiseach makes himself available to the House and the media to answer questions on reports of this nature and he is not doing so.

The Minister spoke about Deputies in the House being allowed to express a view and ask questions. Will the Minister confirm to the House that we will have an opportunity to debate the report? When will we have a press conference? Will the Tánaiste come to the House to answer questions and, if so, when?

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