Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

We are entitled to know, under the terms of the motion tabled before the House by the Fianna Fáil-led Government in 2005, what the tribunal estimates as its likely duration, how many witnesses it intends to call, who has been granted legal representation and to be furnished with any other additional information. I did not notice Senator Byrne indicate to me in any shape or form that it was envisaged when this tribunal was created in May 2005 that it would be silent for six years, with no public indication or report to the Houses of the Oireachtas as to where matters stood with regard to its work.

I greatly regret Senator Byrne's gross and ill-judged attempt to play domestic politics with the Anglo-Irish Agreement or with Anglo-Irish relations. His hysterical and grossly distorted misrepresentation of the Government's position and of the motion before this House is to no benefit of this State or his party, and certainly does not give us any indicator of his capacity to understand the depth of the peace process, the commitment of the Government to Anglo-Irish relations and the very close relations that have been clearly fostered by the Government since its formation following the last general election and, indeed, the relations I have as Minister for Justice and Equality with my counterpart, Mr. David Ford, in Northern Ireland.