Caít Keane (Fine Gael)

I would not be embarrassed at all. This legislation is correcting that mess.

This Government created a facility that would protect whistleblowers but I would point out that there is a difference in terms of a whistleblower, a vested interest and a conflict of interest. There are three different items we have to consider. We have information on what is lobbying. It is banned under certain legislation. We only got information on the NAMA aspect yesterday. It is banned under that legislation. Vested interests are banned. We are not supposed to take into consideration any vested interest but we are to take into consideration people who have a conflict of interest. I support legislation to protect whistleblowers who have the interest of society as a whole at heart, not vested interests or conflicts of interest but the interest of the good of society. That is what I am here to protect, nothing else. Nobody has made representations to me, and I would not make up my mind on that. I am reading the Bill. Is it a good Bill? Yes, because it opens up the scope for more than five people to apply. It is a good Bill also in that it provides for a substitute military judge and a director of military prosecutions to come in. All of that is good and that is the reason the Bill must be supported.

On the issue of the select committee, we have heard ad infinitum about the Minister in previous Governments choosing his own people for a particular job.