Vol. 467 No. 2
4 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice whether the investigation into the alleged surveillance of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications has been completed; if so, when the findings of the investigation will be published and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12916/96]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 1, 34, 69 and 70 of 9 November 1995, which indicated that the Garda authorities, having examined the information provided to them and taken the Garda investigative role of criminal issues into account, decided that it had no investigative role in relation to the particular allegations of surveillance. Accordingly, the question of publication of a Garda investigation report in that matter does not arise.
Since it is the threshold of the anniversary of the alleged surveillance of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, it was appropriate to mark the occasion by putting down the question. Although it is just past Bloomsday, I will not suggest that there should be an annual commemoration of the event. However, given that all the allegations of surveillance were spurious, has the Government considered it might be appropriate for it to apologise to the employees of the semi-State companies for the scurrilous allegations made this time last year and in the autumn?
When I saw the question I wondered why the Deputy had again put it down.
The Minister knows now.
The Deputy put down similar questions on many occasions in the past. He said he put it down to mark the anniversary of the first time this matter was raised and I am glad to have that information. However, I have nothing further to add to what was said in the House on many occasions. The Deputy's point about a slur on the semi-State bodies is a scandalous allegation. There is no truth in it and I hope the Deputy will withdraw it.
There is no need for me to withdraw anything but there is a need for the Minister of State and the Government to issue an apology.
Will the Minister of State outline who is paying the legal fees of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications in relation to this fiasco? Is he still indemnified by the State?
The Deputy is raising matters which are worthy of separate questions.
With respect, Sir, such a question could have been anticipated with any degree of foresight by the Minister of State given that I put down the question to mark the anniversary of a momentous occasion in political life.
The Deputy made that point.
