Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Calleary, agus leis an mbeirt eile. Guím gach rath orthu ina róil nua. Cuireann sé iontas orm, áfach, nach ndearna an Taoiseach tagairt ar bith d'Aire sóisearach don Ghaeltacht. Ar ais arís, níl trácht ar bith ar an nGaeltacht i mbliain chinniúnach maidir le hAcht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus maidir le polasaí do na hoileáin. B'fhéidir go mbeidh an Taoiseach in ann soiléiriú a thabhairt air sin.

I congratulate the Minister and Ministers of State on their new roles. I cannot let the occasion pass without saying that the elevation of a further three wise men brings into sharp focus the long journey we have to go towards gender equality. The role of Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is an extremely important one in terms of sustainable rural and regional development and the challenges that present in regard to climate change and bringing farmers and their families on board. I wish the incoming Minister, Deputy Calleary, the best in all of that. However, the circumstances of his appointment and the sacking of the previous Minister leave a lot of unanswered questions. While I wish the Taoiseach the best and I think he has a good heart behind his actions, he has handled this situation very badly. In my view, his judgment has been brought into question by his handling of the matter.

Nobody in the Opposition asked for a head on a plate. We did not ask for a Minister to be sacked. All we asked for was openness and accountability. Indeed, some members of the Opposition voted against proposals put forward on this side of the House. We simply asked for questions to be answered. The need for accountability was the strongest messages we got from people during the election campaign. We all make mistakes and we all do something wrong. Nobody here can say they did not do something wrong at some time. Where members of the Government make mistakes, there is an onus on them to come into the House and explain, particularly in the circumstances that pertained in this case, where there was the release of a Garda record. We do not know how it was released. We do not know what the particular record was, or whether it was a PULSE record or something obtained under data protection.

Then there is the whole question of Ministers being vetted. As I understand it, nominees go through a vetting process by the Garda before their appointment. The Taoiseach is shaking his head, so I might be wrong about that. I presumed they go through such a process, just as teachers and others have to be vetted before they are appointed. Are Ministers vetted by the Garda and, if so, what emerged from that in Deputy Cowen's case? Then there is the very serious question of data being released in the manner in which they appear to have been released. I certainly agree with the Taoiseach that there is a serious question to address in that regard.

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