Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is the first point. If a person wishes to claim that he or she, on legal advice, cannot answer certain questions, it would be far better if that issue were teased out beforehand. For example, the specific questions to be asked could be disclosed, as far as possible, to the person being invited to come before the committee. There should be an onus on the witness to disclose in advance whether he or she believes certain questions go beyond the remit of a committee. We need to get to a situation where some kind of judgment can be made on that. We have seen it here in terms of how the Executive deals with the Legislature. It is too easy for people to rely on the idea that legal advice means they do not have to deal with a pertinent issue that is being put before them. I have no problem with compelling people to come before a committee to answer certain questions. The committee or the public can then judge how those questions are answered. There needs to be a way to deal with this situation in order that some kind of judgment can be made in advance to empower the committee to ask certain questions. The second issue was brought out in the comments made by the president of the FAI.