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

During Private Members' business, Members can bring forward legislative proposals. It could have been brought forward, published or engaged on last week.

What is important is the Minister's statement regarding the retrieval of the tapes and the potential for the tapes to be available. There is more work to be done. In my view, the bona fides of the Minister cannot be questioned with regard to doing right by the survivors. I heard some of the contributions and it is wrong to cast aspersions or to try to create a division in which some are more virtuous than others on this issue. That is not right, and I detected that in some of the contributions I heard. Many people, the survivors of these institutions, want access to information, once and for all. As an Oireachtas and a Government, we must also get on with doing what many people need to get done on a range of issues. We are committed to doing that.

Obviously, the Minister will engage further with the Oireachtas on the range of issues that are covered. His statements, last night and today, although I was not in the House earlier, regarding the retrieval of the tapes are significant and should provide an opportunity on that issue. The Deputies must acknowledge that there are significant challenges regarding the issue of the commission, which the Minister has been pursuing in respect of getting responses, and regarding the Data Protection Commission's engagement with the commission.

On the points raised by Deputy McNamara, these are the mechanisms that have been provided so we can do our business in the House in the context of Covid-19. I understand the Deputy's reservations, but I do not believe there is any way out of it.

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