Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important issue because it is has not been dealt with properly or appropriately over the past couple of weeks in terms of accountability to the people and accountability to the Oireachtas.

Let us quickly and briefly go over what happened in the so-called McNulty affair. On 12 September Mr. John McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. On 17 September, five days later, Mr. McNulty was announced as the Fine Gael candidate in the Seanad by-election. The nomination form, which had his name and address and his description as a board member of IMMA, was signed by An Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny.

On 21 September an Independent candidate, Mr. Gerard Craughwell, objected to Mr. McNulty's candidacy but apparently withdrew his objection when he saw that Mr. McNulty was a member of the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Subsequently, there was political controversy which resulted in Mr. McNulty's withdrawal as a candidate. He withdrew to forestall a legal challenge by other candidates, because there was talk of legal advice being sought and legal challenges being made. I contend that the withdrawal of Mr. McNulty at that time was planned as a diversion to forestall a legal challenge, which seems, effectively, to have been what happened.