Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It was very unfortunate that a person of the stature of Gabriel Byrne - we all have affection for him and are delighted that he has done so well in his profession - made such comments. The previous Government appointed him to serve as a cultural ambassador, which he did for a number of years. I was disappointed by Mr. Byrne's comments regarding The Gathering. I was even more disappointed by his observation to the effect that the bridge between Ireland and its diaspora has been broken. Those of us who are fortunate enough to travel abroad realise that this is not true. There are many organisations, etc., in this country that have direct contact with groups abroad. They work very closely with those groups. If one speaks to members of the Irish community abroad, one realises that there is a great grá for the homeland. There are more than 70 million of Irish extraction across the globe. That is a huge number. Even if we try to exploit - I use that word in the best sense - the economic value of the Diaspora, its members would obtain great value for money in return. We should wish The Gathering well because a great deal of consideration has been given to what is planned. The main strength of The Gathering is that it will be decentralised in nature.

Where malpractice, particularly if it is supported by taxpayers' money, occurs, it must be of concern to every person on this island, especially those of us who are fortunate and privileged enough to be Members of the Oireachtas. It does not matter whether such malpractice occurs in a bank, an industry or a family planning clinic. The extra danger in the latter case is that lives could also be put at risk. That matter must be taken into consideration. I would expect every Senator to laud the work carried out by the relevant investigative journalist and to thank the newspaper involved for publishing the findings. I am somewhat concerned that the type of inquiry which is being considered will be low profile and internal. Much more is required and an independent inquiry should be established. I applaud Senator Mullen for outlining the position in respect of this matter in such a dispassionate manner. The Senator did not try to score points. He tried to act as any of the rest of us would have acted if a completely different issue were being raised in the Chamber. The general public and the newspaper in question are going to monitor what will be our reaction to the findings that will eventually emerge in respect of the malpractice to which I refer.