David Norris (Independent)

I agree with Senator Ryan's comments on impenetrable trusts. No declaration of interest is required for a number of public offices. The trail cannot be followed because people put their money into companies like Skerries Holdings, when it becomes impossible to tell whether there is a conflict of interest. This issue needs to examined.

On the matter of media coverage of the Oireachtas, on a number of occasions detailed reports are made but are then spiked editorially by the newspapers because they are not regarded as of sufficient interest. Perhaps we should use this opportunity to seek a meeting with the editors because that may be where the problem lies. I would support programmes like the BBC's politics show or the American programme "C-SPAN". A certain audience would be interested in such programmes.

There has been a succession of cases recently where murder trials have been stopped or aborted. This has happened in cases where many people feel the accused has a case to answer. The most recent case was stopped because of difficulties surrounding the taking of evidence in Garda stations. Five years ago I spoke to the International Police Convention in Dublin Castle and made the point, as did others, that provision should be made for videotaping in order to protect gardaí, the integrity of the evidence and the people being interrogated. We should ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to examine this issue. The expenditure would justify itself. If people believe certain persons have walked free although a good degree of suspicion still attaches to the fact that they may have been involved in a murder, then we must spend money on videotaping.