Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I want to address some of the issues raised. I apologise for needing to step out at the beginning of the debate. Several speakers have referred to the Kelly Fitzgerald inquiry. While I do not want to be overly defensive, the comments made about that report by the then Minister for Health, a member of the Fine Gael Party, in 1996 are worth reflecting on. He stated:

It was my intention that the report, subject to legal advice, would be put into the public domain. The legal advice available to me confirms the difficulties associated with publication of the report. The Government considers it appropriate, however, in view of the public concern about the important issues addressed in the report that an Oireachtas committee should consider the report as regards the legislative implications of its recommendations.

He was attacked by Opposition Members, those in my party, and accused of a cover-up. The same is being repeated today in that I am being accused of a cover-up. The only difference is that we are on different sides of the——