Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Justice went on national radio yesterday to bat in the Tánaiste's defence and said there had been engagement with NAGP throughout these negotiations. The Tánaiste is telling me that the Department of Health said there was no engagement. That is the problem. We have asked for these documents which are all covered by freedom of information to be released in order that there would not be any confusion on this matter. There was no engagement with the NAGP and the Department of Health. The Tánaiste, however, is relying on that defence in some way to suggest that this was an ongoing process and it was not about doing a trick or a favour or pulling strings or a dig-out for a friend. Is that not the case? Is the Tánaiste aware that there was no engagement with the Department of Health and the NAGP throughout this process? Does he accept that the statement by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is in accurate in that regard?

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