Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

To follow what others have said on the Anglo Irish Bank tapes, I was astounded to hear the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, suggest on Sunday that he would be willing to contemplate re-running the referendum on Oireachtas committees of inquiry. The people gave their clear answer on that matter and deemed that politicians were not the appropriate persons to carry out investigations of this kind. I wonder what the fixation among some elements of the Government is with that. Perhaps it is to distract the nation and politicians with a banking inquiry when the real and important work must be done by the Garda and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

I acknowledge the good work which has been done by the Government during the Presidency. I am loth to congratulate the Taoiseach, however, on the very day that the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill comes to a vote in the House. The person I congratulate is Matt Lyons, a member of Sligo County Council who, to borrow Deputy Creighton's words, stepped outside the groupthink and led the local authority to vote its disapproval of dangerous and unjust legislation which, for the first time, targets the life of innocent children.