asked the Taoiseach when he expects to receive the report of the tribunal of inquiry into the RTE Seven Days money lending programme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - RTE Inquiry.
2.
It is not possible at present to give any firm indication of when the report will be available.
It is two months since the hearings concluded. Can the Taoiseach give any indication to the House whether the report will be available before the end of this session? Has the Taoiseach had an interim report or has he had contact with the people drawing up the final conclusion of this report?
It would be completely undesirable that I should have contact with the people who are drawing up this report. It must be remembered that the proceedings lasted a total of 51 days and involved thousands of pages of statements and depositions. The three members of the Judiciary concerned had to go back to their normal duties. They could not be expected to devote full time to examination of evidence and drawing up the report. I understand they are doing so to the fullest extent that their existing duties permit. Unfortunately, I cannot give an indication when the report will be ready.
Having regard to the fact that during this period the health of the Minister for Justice was not the best, would the Taoiseach not agree that this whole question of the tribunal and the report should be reconsidered? The former Minister for Justice was the main author of that tribunal and the Taoiseach himself, in his speech two weeks ago, agreed that some time before he sacked the Minister for Justice that Minister had not been up to the job and the duties attached to it.
I did not say anything like that. I said his health had not been good for some time before his resignation. I should like to say that the Minister's health had nothing whatever to do with the setting up of this tribunal. The demand for the setting up of the tribunal came from the Opposition side of the House.
That is not true. The Minister for Justice made serious charges.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
(Interruptions.)
Would all the demands by the Opposition be similarly met?
(Interruptions.)
Could I ask the Taoiseach when he receives the report will he immediately present it to the Dáil or could he give us some indication as to the procedure he intends to follow? Will the report be put on the Cabinet agenda first and then given to the House, or will it be presented immediately to the Dáil?
That is a separate question.
It will be a report which follows on resolutions of both Houses of the Oireachtas. Therefore, the report must come before the Oireachtas.
(Cavan): In view of the fact that the Taoiseach has indicated that the members of the tribunal have had to return to ordinary duties, could it be arranged that these gentlemen would be relieved of their ordinary duties for a reasonable time in order to enable them to write their report and to present it with the minimum delay?
I do not know whether there will be a long or a short delay. I do not expect there will be a long delay. I do not think it is right for me to interfere with the ordinary courts of justice. Everybody knows that cases are in arrears in many courts. It is only right that the members of the tribunal should be allowed to attend to their duties. They are attending to the fullest possible extent to the preparation of the report as a whole. I do not think there is reason for doing anything more.
It has been a costly inquiry brought about by the indisposition of the former Minister for Justice.