Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that the political landscape today will be dominated by this issue relating to the Tánaiste. It is a very significant issue. Given the large-scale problems in this country including Covid, job losses, the CervicalCheck tribunal, which I have referenced, and a range of others, that is not good. This issue needs to be dealt with quickly. The public is now drawn back to the time of golden circles, the Galway tent, friends in high places and so on. We had thought we had moved on.

We in the Labour Party are in a slightly different position from that of others in here as we are the only party of the Opposition that has actually served in government. I grant that individual Members of this House have served in government, but we are the only such party. My party colleague, Deputy Howlin, introduced the lobbying legislation which was meant to manage all of these issues. Obviously, it is being ignored.

There is a bit of time before the Tánaiste addresses the House. Deputy Micheál Martin is the Taoiseach now. Will he ask the Tánaiste not to use the lame excuse that he leaked this document to ensure the maximum number of GPs took up the contract, because it does not wash? The Taoiseach has time to ask this of the Tánaiste.

This is not just about the Tánaiste, however. This is also about Deputy Micheál Martin's role as Taoiseach and how he is going to deal with it. It is about competence and how the Taoiseach will deal with this issue over the coming hours and days. I have two real issues. The Taoiseach has said that he had a number of phone calls with the Tánaiste. Will he confirm to the House that he asked the Tánaiste whether he, or anybody who worked for him, had ever done this before? Will the Taoiseach please tell the House whether he asked that question and what the answer was? If he did not ask that question, why not? He is the Taoiseach. I ask him to please tell me that he has asked that question. I am sure the Tánaiste will have answered "No" because, if he has not, the Taoiseach has a fairly significant problem.

As the Taoiseach has acknowledged, what the Tánaiste did was wrong. It was inappropriate. Whatever happens today, that will not change. It was inappropriate. Will the Taoiseach confirm to the House that, because of this, he will sanction the Tánaiste at some level?

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