Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I want to raise two issues and then I shall finish. First, the committee system and the main ranking committee of the Oireachtas has been undermined. Any future Government, and not just this one, can decide that if it does not like the structure of the committee or who is chairing it then the committee will not be allowed to investigate and a new committee may be set up. That has never happened before. The Committee of Public Accounts deserves its right and independent status, and to be independent of party politics. The Government trumpeted the reform agenda but has, in the space of two weeks, done more damage to the independence of the committee than has ever been done before.