Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator MacSharry's amendment. I am not at all reassured by Senator Coghlan's comments. It seems like a wolf in sheep's clothing to talk about taking it easy. There is nothing easy about what has happened recently. The simple fact is that the Committee of Selection of this House nominated two people. By his intervention yesterday, the Taoiseach has now undermined the entire credibility of the banking inquiry. He said that to attain terms of reference he needs a Government majority. Subsequent to that, Senator Barrett put it on the record that he is not anti-Government.

I would have thought that a banking inquiry in which all the participating parties have embraced the concept of such an inquiry will be about seeking the truth rather than scoring political points. That is what I would have hoped, at least. I am afraid, however, that yesterday's comments by the Taoiseach in the other House have completely undermined that. They have undermined it in the public mind as well. Whereas there is a genuine desire to get to the bottom of the banking inquiry, it has now been totally undermined and for that reason I will support Senator MacSharry's call. The Taoiseach should attend this House because the Seanad is, in a sense, holding things up. That is because the Government will not accept the democratic will of the Committee of Selection.