Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader for a debate on Cabinet accountability to Parliament. For some time those of us in this House have understood the contempt with which the Seanad and its contribution are held by the Government but I raise the orchestrated leaking of this expert report, effectively by the Cabinet because it was provided by the experts to the Cabinet. I do not know what it contains. I have not seen it yet, but as early as last Wednesday, participating in "The Late Debate" on RTE, a journalist was able to say, "Well I'm fully briefed on it". Clearly, somebody briefed people on this issue and that shows the Cabinet's arrogance and disdain in its abuse of Parliament as a mere tool to carry out its wishes. One wonders when the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, intends to move the enabling Act as Hitler did in 1933 such is the contempt in which these Houses are held in the context of considering legislation and proposals that are supposed to be put to people.

On another issue, I call for an urgent debate on the banking deal in the context of what the Irish people must sustain in terms of payback. Clearly, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and perhaps the Taoiseach, had George Orwell in mind when she described us as a special case. As our leader on this side of the House rightly said and as George Orwell said in Nineteen Eighty-Four or Animal Farm, all members are special but some are more special than others.