Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

All sides of the House share this view. Since yesterday's High Court decision the blame game has started. It is extraordinary that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform was blissfully unaware of the Supreme Court case pending in last week's list. I find it difficult to believe that the Minister, who was a leading criminal lawyer, was for a time Attorney General and has sat at the Cabinet table for the past seven years, was unaware that this case was coming up, despite, as he admitted yesterday, the existence of channels of communication between the Director of Public Prosecutions, his office and the Office of the Attorney General.

The Minister has significant questions to answer about the Government's handling of this case. Those questions and answers need to be aired in this House. The Minister needs to show some leadership on this issue and tell people he knows what he knows, as he famously said of himself. He has characterised himself as the great "I am" of Irish politics. It is time for him to be frank with this House and the other House and tell us why such a major decision, that had implications for many cases before the courts was not brought to his attention and that of his Department at an earlier stage.

Let us not forget that the Minister told Pat Kenny on the radio last Thursday that there is no gaping black hole in the legislation. That changed yesterday afternoon. He needs to come to the House today to explain himself.