Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I will conclude by asking the Leader to communicate, through Senator Dan Boyle if necessary, with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, on the following. A number of months ago, the Minister took issue with a member of the Catholic hierarchy who communicated a viewpoint on the Civil Partnership Bill. Deputy Gormley said he thought the era of church interference in politics was over. When challenged on his opposition to church figures having a voice in politics, notwithstanding the fact that the previous year the Government had been anxious to see church leaders express a view on the Lisbon treaty, he said that even if he agreed with what they said, they should not communicate political ideas in this way. Will the Leader ask the Minister why he takes a different view when the head of the Church of Ireland is involved? When the retiring Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Reverend John Neil, accused the Green Party of having been corrupted and cited the party's turnaround on the use of Shannon by the US military as an example of power tending to corrupt, it is interesting to note that the Minister did not question the right of the Church of Ireland archbishop to express such a view. In fact, the Minister engaged with the archbishop. He expressed his great disappointment, described the comment as ill-judged and a grave insult and went on to say that, as leader of the party that probably had the highest proportion of Church of Ireland members in its ranks, it was with particular disappointment that he noted the comments. Why is it the Minister's view that Catholic Church leaders have no-----