Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Byrne's remarks on two fronts. First, he rightly identifies that Members really ought to be discussing European legislation and European proposals to a much greater extent. This latest proposal, which pertains to a directive at European level to harmonise laws to ensure the protection of the euro and other currencies against counterfeiting, is a very good example. I was actually present at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality the other day. I was one of only one or two Oireachtas Members present who heard what the Minister, Deputy Shatter, had to say and who discussed it and then participated in questions, in addition to Deputy Alan Farrell, who chaired the meeting and Deputy Finian McGrath, who I believe also had questions. My point is that it was far from being a thorough scrutiny of the proposal of the kind that might be considered desirable. There is nothing particularly controversial in the proposal, although there are issues, for example, in respect of surveillance and the possibility of certain minimum sentencing for such offences, which is not something that would sit well in this jurisdiction. Members had a very interesting discussion, in so far as it went, but it would be entirely appropriate for Members of these Houses, and of this House in particular, to engage in further scrutiny of such a proposal and I second what Senator Byrne had to say in this regard.

He also called for the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to come to this House and I also would like him to come in, albeit for another reason. In last Friday's edition of the Irish Independent, it was reported that the Minister, Deputy Hogan, stated the reason Fine Gael was forced to change its position on abortion - its original promise being that it would not legislate for abortion - was following a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights after the election, which the Minister stated required the Government to then legislate for the existing constitutional position. The entire thrust of the article in the Irish Independent is that the Minister, Deputy Hogan, was stating that Fine Gael had its election promises and then came a European court decision. The only problem is the European Court decision in question came in December 2010, that is, three months before the election. The promise given by Fine Gael was on the back of the Strasbourg court decision and Fine Gael, under the guidance of the now Minister, Deputy Hogan, gave clear commitments. This raises the question as to whether the Government is playing games with the truth in this regard. Is it about making it up as one goes along?

I must be fair to the Minister, who approached me in the corridor just now. I will conclude very shortly but this is an important point. He approached me in the corridor just now to say he had heard from the Chief Whip that I was raising a question. He then gave me an explanation which, frankly, I did not understand because it is quite clear, from the article in Friday's edition of the Irish Independent, that the Minister was giving the journalists to understand there was an election commitment and then there was a court decision. However, that is not how it happened and the Minister should know that. I will not accuse the Minister of lying but someone advising the Minister or perhaps the Minister himself gave a journalist a version of events that cannot be in concordance with the truth.

Perhaps the Leader will ask the Minister to come in and be accountable to this House, even if the media is so far not holding him to account, for what he said, what he meant, whether the Government is making up excuses as it goes along and whether the truth matters a damn to it at all.