Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

That was quite an incredible display of bluff, bluster and attempted distraction from what has been happening. The Tánaiste did not answer any of the questions. Why has the Government, with the support of so-called Independents, voted to block any questioning of the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins? We know we will not get a proper addressing of the very serious allegations of corruption against him. How do we know that? Because it is less than two months since he was in here making a statement about the last scandal he was embroiled in. What did he do in that statement? He studiously ignored the central allegation against him, that he had told a mistruth on his planning application. He did not deny it or dispute it; he simply ignored it. Why is the Tánaiste facilitating him in avoiding properly addressing the allegations? The Tánaiste sacked Deputy Cowen because he refused to attend a questions and answers session in the Dáil so why is he protecting Deputy Niall Collins?

A week has passed since the original story was published in The Ditchand Deputy Niall Collins has not disputed or denied any of the key facts that were outlined there. Deputy Niall Collins's wife approached Limerick County Council in December 2006, through a solicitor, expressing interest in buying a plot of land. The next month, Deputy Niall Collins participated in the decision at the Bruff Local Electoral Area Committee, to put this land up for sale. Unless Deputy Niall Collins is going to make the highly implausible case that he did not know that his own wife had expressed interest in buying the land, then the situation is clear. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, then a councillor, breached the code of conduct for councillors and he breached the Local Government Act 2001. He arguably committed a criminal offence in doing so. For the benefit of the Tánaiste, let me read the relevant section of the code of conduct for councillors:

...under the 2001 Act councillors must disclose at a meeting of the local authority or of its committees any pecuniary or other beneficial interest... they or a connected person have in, or material to, any matter with which the local authority is concerned in the discharge of its functions, and which comes before the meeting. The councillor must withdraw from the meeting after disclosure and must not vote or take part in any discussion or consideration of the matter...

It is crystal clear; his wife had a pecuniary interest in the matter of the land being put up for sale. Deputy Niall Collins did not disclose this interest and he did not withdraw from the meeting. He participated in the decision to put the land up for sale.

How can he remain as a Minister of State? His wife bought the land from the council for €148,000 and she is reportedly in the process of selling it back to the council for an amount that will be many multiples of that. Deputy Niall Collins used his position on the council, not for the benefit of the public who elected him, but for the enrichment of his own family. It smells like the same old slíbhín behaviour and stroke politics of Fianna Fáil, starring a brazen gaimbín who always has his eye on the main chance. Bertie Ahern is back and this old muck is too. That is why the Tánaiste is covering this up.

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