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

I need to respond. First, on the idea of referring to the Business Committee, there is no commitment from the Government side that it has any inclination or wish to engage in any Dáil debate on the issue or for the Tánaiste to speak in any capacity. It is very clear from the replies that people want to invoke the tribunal to avoid any discussion in the House or any questions. I would point out that parliamentary questions have already been tabled on the matter by Deputy Alan Kelly and there have been replies, but not ones that answer the questions he asked. The Ceann Comhairle is following up on the quality of those replies. Even in the House reference has been made to an email. Reference has been made publicly by the Tánaiste on the national airwaves about the content of that email. In other words, part of the email is public knowledge at this stage, without the entirety of the email being published. That is not fair procedure or fair practice.

I stand to be corrected but I believe there have been other precedents whereby in the midst of tribunals there have been plenty of Dáil debates relating to subject matters that were covered by various tribunals. What I want from the Taoiseach is not for the issue to be referenced back to the Business Committee to be buried in red tape and all sorts of invocations as to why we cannot do it. This is the Parliament of the nation. This is the plenary session of Dáil Éireann. We can decide to have a proper debate where the Tánaiste comes in and gives what she knows, a comprehensive presentation to the House, and for her to take questions on it rather than the drip, drip revelations we are getting day by day.

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