Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

During last week’s Question Time the Taoiseach used a series of dodges to avoid directly answering challenging questions. The pattern is similar today.

Deputy Lowry has said that he has not made a deal with the Taoiseach, even though he voted for the Taoiseach's nomination and talked to the Taoiseach at least twice before the vote. He angrily informed the Dáil that he is entitled to be able to contact Ministers directly on constituency matters and to have full access. The fact is that this facility is not available to the majority of Deputies. In Tipperary specifically, Ministers have regularly given one Deputy preference in early notice of information which he has claimed shows his influence on the Government, to the exclusion of other Deputies in the constituency. Why is a Deputy who the Taoiseach says has no arrangement with Government able to claim influence on the Government?

Central to the Taoiseach’s election was the agreement with Independent Deputies and one part of this related to Stepaside Garda station on which the Taoiseach gave a commitment to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Trade, Deputy Ross. I have no problem with reopening Garda stations which should never have been closed. The issue is the pressure put on the Garda Commissioner – was pressure put on the Garda Commissioner? – to provide an interim report to facilitate the Taoiseach's nomination. It is very curious that an interim report emerged at all because this is not a question of 100 stations but of a small number and, hey presto, one interim report came out at a very opportune time relating to Stepaside. I am somewhat curious to know whether the Commissioner got divine inspiration in producing this interim report on Stepaside at that Cabinet meeting when a lot was going on. The report was due within weeks and would have covered the whole country yet the Garda Commissioner was asked to produce an interim report before the Taoiseach's nomination. Can the Taoiseach confirm whether he had any role in this process, whether the Tánaiste had, and the date on which it was confirmed to the Taoiseach that an entirely unnecessary interim report would be produced?

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