Nora Owen
Ceist:579 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will publish the complete text of the letters to him and from him to Deputy Robert Molloy relating to a Court case (details supplied). [11924/02]
Written Answers. - Departmental Correspondence.
Nora Owen
Ceist:580 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when exactly, he or his Department were made aware of the statement made in Court by Mr. Justice Philip O'Sullivan on 9 April 2002 concerning a telephone call from a Minister of State; when he or his Department were contacted by the office or the Minister of State, Deputy Molloy, indicating the knowledge they had regarding this matter; and when he or his office were aware that his Department had had an ongoing involvement through correspondence and telephone calls [11946/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 580 together.
As the Deputy knows, I released copies of all correspondence between Deputy Molloy and I to the media on Thursday, 11 April, with the exception of the copy of correspondence from Deputy Molloy's constituent and a sentence referring to personal details which was blocked out in the copies of Deputy Molloy's letter to me of 6 November 2001. I am arranging for a copy of the press statement issued on my behalf on 11 April and copies of the correspondence which accompanied it to be placed in the Oireachtas Library.
My Department and I became aware of the statement made in court on 9 April by Mr. Justice O'Sullivan in the early afternoon of that day following media reports. Neither I nor my Department were contacted about the matter by Deputy Molloy or his office. I became aware that an official of my Department had been in telephone contact with Mr. Justice O'Sullivan only after it has been stated in open court on the morning of Wednesday, 10 April that such contact had taken place. It was brought to my attention that correspondence with Deputy Molloy concerning the case in question had been handled by the courts policy division of my Department. I issued a statement on the afternoon of Wednesday, 10 April, dealing with the issue of the telephone call made by an officer of the Department to the judge and in relation to the correspondence which had been handled by courts policy division. This was the only correspondence of which I was aware at that time. It later emerged from a search that other correspondence concerning the case in question had been dealt with in my Department's crime and prisons divisions. When I became aware of this correspondence on the evening of the 10 April, I directed that all the correspondence be published.
Question No. 581 answered with Question No. 572.