Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Acting Leader of the Opposition, Senator Leyden, raised a question on procedure relating to Commencement debates. This is certainly an issue for consideration by the next Seanad.I would agree to going back to the former situation where we would have Adjournment debates rather than Commencement debates, but that is something for the next Seanad. Perhaps some of us may be back, but that is in the lap of the gods.

The Senator also raised, as did Senators Walsh and Bacik, the review of GSOC's access to telephone records. There is genuine concern about the balance in our law between the important freedom of journalists to pursue legitimate matters of public interest and, indeed, the basic right of persons not to have their personal information improperly disclosed. While bodies investigating crime need to have the appropriate statutory powers available to them to carry out their duties, we need to examine the balance in respect of the integrity or the legitimacy of the journalistic activity being carried out in the public interest. The Senator has welcomed, as have all Senators, the appointment of the judge to look into this situation and carry out a review. The matter needs to be reviewed. I hope the judge will have sufficient time to come back with a report that will be acceptable to all.

Senator Bacik mentioned the motion on cystic fibrosis that we will table next week, hopefully with the support of all parties. That is the right way to go about dealing with the issue.