Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

No one can dispute the facts. Whether I say them in this House or not, people out there know that they are facts. I am making a parallel between this appointment of an Attorney General by this Government and one made by a previous Fianna Fáil Government. The quality that applies on both sides of the House is that they are loyal to their class and to the people in power. They stay quiet when that is required of them. That is not to suggest that there is anything improper about that behaviour but at best it is incompetent and dishonest to the people of this country. It gives an explanation for why every time there is a kerfuffle inside this Parliament to the extent that it might bring down a Government, it relates to such an appointment because that appointment is very important to a Government. It can provide cover and it can provide the secrecy that is required.

In the few minutes I have left, since much of my time was taken, I have a suggestion for how this can be resolved. Can the newly appointed judge, Máire Whelan, give evidence to the Charlton inquiry? If she cannot, I suggest she stands down from her new appointment so that she is in a position to be interviewed by that inquiry and get to the bottom of the smear campaign against whistleblowers and the unexplained loss of mobile phones. It would be worth holding up her appointment for any evidence that she might give. Having cleared all that up, she can return to being an eminent judge, like all the other eminent judges that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael appoint in order to ensure that the law in this country is served according to themselves. Justice is another matter.

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