Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like other colleagues, I send my best wishes to the two young children involved in that horrific incident in Athlone at the weekend and I commend the gardaí on the speed with which they charged and brought a person before the courts. I will not say anything more on that other than to wish the two young people the very best.

The first I heard about the comments of Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, was when Senator Barrett raised them today. I know the Minister of State well and have huge respect for him. I am disappointed he made those comments. I was the Government Chief Whip during his time in this House and I certainly did not approach him nor do I know of any other colleague who approached him in regard to his continued membership of that Seanad and subsequent ones, which he alleges. I do not think it is in anyone's gift to decide who is and who is not a Member of this House other than those who are charged with the responsibility of electing people to this House and the Taoiseach of the day, who has the privilege of appointing 11 nominees. Some parties try to control who is elected to this House and I was a victim of such an attempt.

I support the call of colleagues that the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, comes to, and uses the privilege of, this House to name the alleged person because I am very much in the spotlight as the Government Chief Whip of that Seanad. I certainly made no approach to the then Senator Cannon in regard to the allegations he made. The onus is on him, as a Minister of State, to clarify the situation today, to lodge a complaint and to name the alleged person. I do not care whether the alleged person is a Member of this House or is no longer one; the person should be named if that allegation is correct. The Minister of State owes it to each of us to clarify that situation today.

I commend the acting Leader, Senator Bacik, for contacting the general secretary of Fine Gael and the Minister charged with directing the attempted vandalism to our Constitution by the Government. I note she did not get any response. Last Thursday, in the absence of the Leader, Senator Cummins, I asked the acting leader of Fine Gael in the House, the Government Chief Whip, Senator Paul Coghlan, to approach the director of elections and request that the posters which are at best telling untruths and at worst telling lies, which some colleagues called them, be removed immediately. Will he give an update on what contact he has made and if he is still pursuing the matter because these posters are still up, which is unacceptable? I commend every Member of this House on the effort he or she is making to save this very important pillar of our democracy.