David Norris (Independent)

Perhaps it is because we are on Report Stage that there are so many references to reports of various kinds. There was a reference to the absence of proper reports in the Russian situation and now we have mention of the Monageer report, which is not directly relevant but since it has been opened up by Senators and by the Minister of State, I will mention it. What concerns me principally about the Monageer report - I said this on the Order of Business - is not the blacking out of sections on legal advice but the fact that seven of the recommendations were deleted. How in the name of God can we function effectively as a Parliament if in monitoring the implementation of these recommendations nobody is allowed to know what they are except two citizens of this State? That is absurd. There are ways around that. The way around it - the Minister of State probably knows this because it has been done previously - is to read them into the record of either House of the Oireachtas or of a privileged committee of the House. It then becomes part of the record and we are protected against any legal recourse in so doing. I recommend the Minister to consider this option, not perhaps with regard to all of it. I am not one of those who goes around looking for heads on a plate. That is largely a waste of time, but we ought to know what are the recommendations. The Minister of State might consider reading those into the record of the House and giving us his answer.

I unreservedly welcome the Minister's statement that there is no embargo on the recruitment of social workers.