Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Much has been said today about leaked documents and about trying to influence the outcome of a certain report in terms of the media but there is another report to which I want to refer. It is a report related to the highest office, the Office of Uachtaráin na hÉireann, the President of Ireland. I am sure everyone here would agree that the Office of the President is above repute. However, I am not so sure that RTE and the Ministers, Deputies Gilmore and Rabbitte, would agree. I was flabbergasted to read coverage of this in the Sunday Independent over the weekend and, on listening back to a "Newstalk Breakfast" programme last week, to hear David Nally, the editor of RTE news and current affairs, say on that programme that he accepted that the "Frontline" programme changed the outcome of the presidential election, and that this is what was printed.

A distinguished gentleman who has been a Member of this House for many years was a candidate in that election and there were also other candidates in it. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, and the RTE Authority tried to sabotage the outcome of that election and undermine the Office of Uachtaráin na hÉireann. They have done a disservice to the people and to the Office of the President. The Attorney General needs to brought into this equation to provide us with her advice on the role of RTE-----