Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

It is important that we deal with these issues with a degree of common sense. I will conclude by reiterating that the Government is anxious that this independent tribunal independently completes its work, concludes its inquiries and produces recommendations. We have no intent of any nature to interfere in that work or to influence it. However, we believe a tribunal created by the Houses of the Oireachtas has an obligation to report to the Houses as to the progress it is making and as to its likely duration. We believe it is not unreasonable that, after six years of sittings, we set a date within which it should report in circumstances in which the procedures of both Houses facilitate the chairman communicating with the Clerk of the Dáil at a later stage if he discovers there is a difficulty in completing his work within that timeframe.

I am personally conscious of the type of difficulties that could occur during the course of the oral hearings of the tribunal and which might result in that type of communication from the chairman. However, it is important, where a tribunal is created to report on an urgent matter of public importance, which was the phrase used in 2005, that we encourage the tribunal, after six years, to progress its inquiries, complete its deliberations and make its recommendations within a reasonable timeframe.

The motion provides for this.