Joe Conway (Independent)

The famous phrase Mandy Rice-Davies was connected with was how, when someone rebutted an allegation, she said, "Well he would, wouldn't he?" This is the sort of thing that attaches to people who are ringing up public figures and telling them about how they have "credible evidence", "well-appointed sources" and "sources close to Garda." These sorts of phrase mean nothing really - they are just conjectured by journalists - but are put out in the public domain after there is a consideration of the so-called allegations. Often, the people who are at the butt of these, who are having their world kicked out from underneath them, are phoned up by the journalists who say they have credible allegations from well-placed sources close to the Garda and people have seen the files, and they ask what he people are going to say. Usually in panic, the people phone up their solicitors and ask what in the name of God they are going to say. The solicitors tell them to say nothing because they do not have to say anything. Usually, that puts a halt to the gallop at that stage for a while.If, however, we are precipitant enough to throw away today the protections in the legislation currently today, we are doing a big disservice to democracy and to fairness. I speak as a layman, a former teacher and somebody who values the whole business of democracy and fairness. I commend the Minister. Of all the Ministers I have seen in the past six months, he is the person who is most assiduous in his attendance at the Seanad. He is fantastic.