Derek McDowell (Labour)

I am simply apprising the Senator of the situation. He did his job professionally and to the best of his ability. While I regret I was unaware of these things, that is the truth of the matter.

The statements made yesterday were also substantially true. If one used a motoring analogy, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was in the driving seat while the Office of the Attorney General was sitting in the back seat, as far as that particular case was concerned. However, these things happen and nothing is to be read into that. No one's integrity is impugned by saying that. However, that is the sequence of events.

Although Senator Norris is not in the Chamber at present, I had better calm him down. It is of course true that no report of the Law Reform Commission spurred reform in his case. It arose from a defeat of Ireland in the European Court of Human Rights.