Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Many more questions have been raised about the business of the Seanad by-election, notably a compelling interview with Mr. Gerard Craughwell on Newstalk this morning. I urge anyone who has not heard the interview to listen to it. What has happened in this case almost amounts to a fraud, of which Mr. Craughwell was the victim. Senator Darragh O'Brien has proposed that the Seanad use its powers under the inquiries Act to launch a full and comprehensive investigation into what took place this week. This presents a challenge to Senators who must to decide whether they wish to talk about this issue or find out exactly what took place. It is essential that the Minister and the Taoiseach come before the House to discuss the issue.

Why does the website of the Companies Registration Office not feature any information on changes in the directors of the Irish Museum of Modern Art? No change has been registered with the office and its website does not give any indication of a change in directors. Apparently, the individual in question used his alleged directorship, which is not recorded in the Companies Registration Office as far as I can see, to qualify himself, belts and braces, for selection on the Cultural and Educational Panel. If the Seanad is to take itself seriously, it must carry out a full investigation to ascertain what took place.

The fault for this issue lies not with Mr. McNulty but with his superiors in the Fine Gael Party and the Government who decided that this appointment needed to be made if Mr. McNulty was to qualify for the panel. He would have qualified in any case; that is not the issue. The issue concerns the shenanigans that took place at senior levels of the Government in appointing someone to the board of an important museum for a number of weeks. I question whether the appointment has been made or is valid. Senator Paul Coghlan has stated there are 15 board positions available in the IMMA. The latest Companies Registration Office printout lists 14 members of the IMMA board. How did the Minister allegedly appoint two people to the board? We will not get answers to these questions without a full investigation of the matter.