Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Clerk of the Dáil and his officials for the speedy manner in which they have acted to address what is a serious matter for this House and its Members. The report produced today and laid before the House confirms many of the facts of last Thursday, 17 October, namely, that two members of the Fianna Fáil Front Bench, Deputy Niall Collins and Deputy Lisa Chambers, voted for their colleagues, Deputy Dooley and Deputy Calleary, who were not present in the Chamber. The report also confirms that at no point did any of the four Deputies involved attempt to correct the record of these erroneous votes.

I have read the report and taken from it some of the key facts that are now confirmed. Over a period of 56 minutes, eight votes were taken in the Dáil. Deputy Dooley left the Chamber one minute after the first vote was called but nine minutes before the first vote took place. He never returned. In the block of eight votes that followed, Deputy Niall Collins sat in the voting chair of Deputy Cowen. Deputy Niall Collins voted for Deputy Dooley, who was not present in the Chamber, for the first six votes. He also voted for Deputy Cowen for the full eight votes. Deputy Cowen voted for Deputy Niall Collins for the full eight votes. Deputy Dooley approached Deputy Collins before he left the Chamber and they had a brief conversation in front of another colleague. During this conversation Deputy Dooley nodded to his voting seat. The party known for the nod-and-wink is now known better for the nod-and-point.

Deputy Dooley confirmed that he did not vote in any of the eight votes as he never returned to the Chamber. When asked why he did not return, he indicated that he had to return to his office to make a call. He stated that he should have gone back but that instead he left the complex. Asked whether he had left during the voting block, he said most likely it probably was. When asked whether he had contacted Deputy Niall Collins after leaving the complex, he stated that he had not. I am sure if Deputy Dooley and Deputy Niall Collins produced their telephone records to the Committee on Members' Interests, these comments could be confirmed. When questioned on why he did not continue to press Deputy Dooley's voting button for the last two votes, Deputy Niall Collins stated, “I don’t know, I can’t explain that.” When questioned again he said:

I can't give an explanation. It is an obvious question, but I can't give an explanation.

The report also confirms facts surrounding the other voting irregularity. Deputy Lisa Chambers voted for herself and Deputy Calleary, who was not present in the Chamber for the first vote. She then subsequently voted for herself only in the next seven votes. Deputy Calleary was not present for the first five votes but then returned before vote six. Deputy Lisa Chambers stated that she told Deputy Calleary of her mistake when he entered the Chamber. At no stage did Deputy Lisa Chambers or Deputy Calleary make any attempt to amend the record for the first vote by notifying the tellers of the error.

As you said earlier today, a Cheann Comhairle, the events of last Thursday were stark and unpalatable. Errors, which we all make, should be admitted to and learned from. There are many people outside this House who would find it difficult to believe many of the accounts included in the report. I believe the facts, as now confirmed in this report, leave several unanswered questions.

Deputy Micheál Martin stated at the weekend that he did not think the explanations of Deputy Dooley and Deputy Niall Collins were acceptable. What does he think now? Why did Deputy Niall Collins tell journalists that he did not know anything about voting for Deputy Dooley when queried about it just one day after he had deliberately voted for Deputy Dooley six times? After voting for Deputy Dooley in six votes, for more than 35 minutes, why did Deputy Niall Collins not vote for Deputy Dooley in the last two votes? What changed? What made Deputy Niall Collins think Deputy Dooley was back in the Chamber when he knew the Deputy had left, he did not see the Deputy come back in and could not see him anywhere in the Chamber? In the report, Deputy Dooley claims he told Deputy Niall Collins, "I'll see you at the vote but I have to take a call." Why did he tell Deputy Niall Collins this? Is Deputy Niall Collins accustomed to Deputy Dooley being absent for votes? Is Deputy Dooley concerned that Deputy Niall Collins may have voted for him on other occasions when he was not in the Chamber?

Has he ascertained whether he needs to correct the Dáil record of other votes? Is it credible that Deputy Willie O'Dea who was standing beside Deputies Collins and Dooley for that conversation did not hear any details of the words between the two men?

Deputy Lisa Chambers said that she mistakenly pressed the wrong button when she voted for Deputy Calleary and that it was very different from what Deputies Dooley and Collins did. Does she accept the version of events given by the two Deputies to the inquiry? When Deputy Lisa Chambers told Deputy Calleary that she had mistakenly voted for him, why did he not then try to correct the Dáil record himself? Does Deputy Micheál Martin think that Deputy Cowen has any questions to answer in relation to previous votes? Does he back the efforts of Fianna Fáil Deputies to make accusations against Fine Gael Ministers, which are utterly unproven? I hope the Deputies involved and their party leader will address this House and answer these questions here today to provide the clarity that is needed to restore the integrity of the voting process in a House that sets the law of the land.

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