Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Norris raised the matter of the establishment of a select committee. I wish to be perfectly accurate about this matter. It was raised here on the Order of Business before Christmas. I said it would be a good idea to look at the matter and asked the leaders of the groups to meet me in the ante-room which they did. Senators Bradford, Norris, Ryan — whom I could not contact this week, not that I looked to contact him but I was looking out for him — Minihan and myself met and consulted with one of the clerks to the Seanad. We read our comhrún to find out how to set about setting up a committee.

There would be no committee until it would appear on the yellow Order Paper and be voted in or out. In fact, there is no committee. There is a procedure for dealing with that eventuality, namely, a proposal to set up a committee is put on the Order Paper, which the House reviews and on which it decides in the affirmative or negative.

Those running around saying a committee has been set up should be aware there is no committee. There was an informal grouping of leaders of groups, which met several times. Christmas intervened after which we met again and worked with the Parliamentary Counsel to draw up careful and proper terms of reference. It would then follow that the proposal would appear on the yellow Order Paper and there would be a vote on same. I wish to be clear because there is already enough misapprehension about this matter. I have found in political life it is better to tell the truth and be straightforward. One is never caught out then because the truth is easily remembered. Those who cannot remember — well, anyway.

On Wednesday afternoon I spoke individually to Senators Norris, Bradford and Minihan instead of waiting for them to hear it from somebody else. We hold a parliamentary party meeting of Fianna Fáil Senators before the House sits. I am sure all the groups do the same. At that meeting, before lunch last Wednesday, it was brought to my attention that there was considerable disquiet among our group of Senators on this matter. True democracy allows for everybody to be entitled to their own thoughts, to their disquiet and to make a case.

In this instance I quickly ascertained there would be significant opposition to the matter appearing on the Order Paper and many would vote against it. I took a pragmatic rather than a principled decision because I can count numbers as well as anyone else and I knew well that it would be defeated. This was a pragmatic decision; I was not happy but I recognise the force of numbers and the numbers were clearly against it.

Those Senators who expressed that view to me did so in good faith and the meeting concluded in a most harmonious and amicable way because I did not delay in clearing the air about the matter. This is not to say that other Members cannot table a motion on the Order Paper, putting forward the terms as legally constructed and advised by the legal adviser.