Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has no regard for the Seanad, which is why he proposed to abolish it. He previously tried to undermine a democratic decision regarding the selection of candidates for the banking inquiry. He tried to force through a vote and interfered in the process here. Serious questions remain unanswered about what he and Fine Gael are doing in ensuring Mr. McNulty's candidature is valid. It is an unprecedented and unparalleled stoke.

An individual has been appointed to the board of the IMMA who will not even serve on it because his qualifications do not stand up to scrutiny. What is worse is that the candidate misinformed and misled the Seanad nomination hearing by his omission of the fact that he had only been appointed a number of days earlier to the IMMA board on a temporary basis. When another candidate, Mr. Craughwell, lodged a challenge, he withdrew it on the basis that he saw from the Taoiseach a nomination paper that indicated Mr. McNulty was a member of the IMMA board. At no time during the meeting did Mr. McNulty and his election agent say he had only been appointed three days previously and that he had not met or served on the board. That is why Mr. Craughwell withdrew his challenge. Was the information available to the High Court judge who presided over and examined the applications for the nomination? Did the judge know that this individual had only been appointed to the board a matter of days previously?