Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is a matter of disappointment that not one Fine Gael Senator had the integrity to stand up over the weekend. Not one of them stood up to say what everyone else knew, which was that the Tánaiste had to go. Instead the Leader, as recently as this morning, was defending the indefensible. There are further questions to be answered, and that is why I want the Taoiseach to come in here. I cannot understand how, when he received that documentation on Friday or Saturday, he waited until Monday evening to act and almost plunged our country into a general election before Christmas. I cannot understand that. The Minister for Justice and Equality has important questions to answer. We know that he sat beside the Taoiseach when the latter was unintentionally misleading the House. It is not good enough. The fact of the matter is that unfortunately, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil tried to circle the wagons on this matter for a few days. I believe that no one in either party has the confidence to deal with the corruption at the heart of the Department of Justice and Equality. I am asking for the Taoiseach to come in and deal with this matter.