Vol. 402 No. 3
16 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the matters discussed during his meeting on 23 October, 1990 with the parents of the Tallaght Two; if any new initiative is planned in regard to this case arising from his meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
At the meeting, which took place at the request of the parents, I referred to the decision by the Minister for Justice of 16 October to grant Mr. Meleady pre-discharge temporary release under the Criminal Justice Act, 1960, and pointed out that acceptance of the Statutory Rules attaching to his release would not prejudice his case.
As the matter is still under examination, it would be premature to consider any further initiatives at this stage.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply but may I ask him if he would indicate what these matters which have yet to be investigated are? I am sure he accepts that he left the parents who have been concerned with this campaign with a new sense of hope at the end of this entire saga. They seem to believe that the Taoiseach will cause steps to be taken that will vindicate the good name of the two young people concerned, which I am sure the Taoiseach accepts was the purpose of the entire campaign.
The Deputy must not attribute functions to me in this matter which I have not got and which I am not entitled to. It is primarily a matter for the law. My primary purpose in meeting the parents was to talk to them about what I knew was a misunderstanding about the conditions of the release. I understand that there was a misundertanding on the part of Mr. Meleady junior about the conditions attaching to his temporary release. That was primarily the subject of our discussion. I did also undertake to the parents — which is the only real function I would have in the matter — that I would endeavour to see to it that the examination of the issues and reports on them would be dealt with as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.
Did the Taoiseach give any indication as to when this matter is likely to come to finality?
Following my discussion with the parents I have spoken to the Attorney General and asked him to make sure that the examination is concluded as quickly as possible and he has given me an undertaking to that effect.
Is it the Attorney General or the Director of Public Prosecutions who is conducting the inquiries?
The Director of Public Prosecutions must conduct the examination but I can only deal with the Attorney General.
Let us now come to deal with questions nominated for priority to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. There are four questions and they must be disposed of within the prescribed time laid down in Standing Orders, which is 15 minutes.
