I thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to correct the record of the House. This morning on the Order of Business I stated that the Leas-Cheann Comhairle received a letter from the Lough Muckno Action Committee in relation to electoral fraud in Castleblayney and that he had not replied. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle has since contacted me stating that he did not receive any correspondence from the Lough Muckno Action Committee in relation to this matter and he has asked me to correct the record of the House, and I am happy to do so.
I have since spoken to Mr. Joe Brennan of the Lough Muckno Action Committee who has confirmed that no letter was sent to Deputy O'Hanlon. However, he attempted to speak to Deputy O'Hanlon by telephone on 11 and 12 May in relation to the doctoring of the electoral register in Castleblayney. He further stated that he wrote, by registered post, to the General Secretary of Fianna Fáil, Mr. Martin Macken, but to date had received no response. I state clearly there is no implication whatsoever that the Office of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle had any involvement in the serious irregularities in the electoral register in Castleblayney.