Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I dtosach báire, tacaím leis an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Walsh chomh fada is a mbaineann sé leis na binsí fiosrúcháin. In the light of both what Senator Walsh has said and the decision of the Supreme Court, it would be timely for us to have a general reflection in this Chamber on how the tribunals of inquiry and commissions of inquiry have operated. We all have felt a great need in our country in recent years to have the truth told, especially about controversial matters. I note Senator Walsh has been critical of fees paid to barristers, and he may well make a valid point in that regard. I stress another issue, the time-long guarantees that the justice system has afforded to people - the presumption of innocence and the right to be able to test evidence fully. To some extent, we can state that the tribunals of inquiry, while being well intentioned, have certainly cut across what were always regarded as essential rights, namely a person's right to his or her good name until the contrary was fully and properly proved. In the light of the controversies now arising about the tribunals for various reasons, we should have a reflection in this Chamber on how our tribunals have worked and what has gone well and what has gone badly in terms of cost, the impact on persons' good names, the way that they functioned etc.

I take the opportunity to make a point congratulating the Labour Party on its initiative yesterday.