Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have had a lot of discussions about this issue already. The Government made the decision, which the Houses accepted, that the Charleton inquiry should be set up. As I pointed out to Deputy Mick Barry yesterday, the appointment of Mr. Justice Charleton was exceptionally appropriate, having dealt with the Morris tribunal for over a decade in County Donegal. I prefer to let him and his commission do their work. I do not know whether the allegation about the particular phone being missing is true or not, but the justice has set out the timescale and the hearings that are to take place. There will be public hearings of the commission in July on this very issue. The Committee of Public Accounts is meeting this morning and I have heard some of the comments made about the discrepancies in some of the contributions being made. Be that as it may, the House has set up a commission of investigation, a tribunal, to deal with this matter and no better person than Mr. Justice Charleton is dealing with it. The Deputy's question about the previous Commissioner was the subject of a full-scale commission of investigation which made its judgment and ruling. Obviously, the current Commissioner is one of the people whom I named yesterday as having legal representation at the Charleton inquiry. The hearingswill take place in public in July, which is not too far distant. I expect Mr. Justice Charleton to find out the veracity of the allegations, the facts and the truth. That is why he was appointed.

See this speech in context