Cowen denies bid to intimidate Mahon inquiry

Tánaiste Brian Cowen rejected Opposition claims that the Government intended introducing legislation to intimidate the Mahon tribunal.

Mr Cowen said that the introduction of the Tribunal of Inquiry Bill 2005, in the House next week, had been discussed with the party whips.

"It has been on the order paper for some time. There was no objection to it being taken next week. The contentions of the Opposition are without foundation.

"The idea that bringing forward amending legislation, in respect of a tribunal of inquiries Act dating back to 1924, should in some way represent potential intimidation of existing tribunals is nonsense." Mr Cowen was replying to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who said he regarded the move as quite sinister.

"The Taoiseach has already had four days before the Mahon tribunal and is due to appear again for another four days before Christmas.

"Obviously, a majority of people do not believe his explanations for large cash lodgements to his account. In that sense I regard the moving of this tribunal Bill, with a possibility of it being able to close down a tribunal, as quite sinister.

"There is a danger that this will be seen as intimidating a tribunal looking into the Taoiseach's personal finances. In fact, the legislation was deferred last year so that the tribunal could continue without that threat hanging over it. If it was relevant then, it is even more relevant now.

"I wonder is it just coincidence or the lack of legislation that five days after the Taoiseach started giving his evidence, this Bill was reactivated. The Tánaiste is heading into a hell of a row here."

Labour deputy leader Joan Burton said she understood that the judge in the Moriarty tribunal had indicated that there were to be no more public hearings, and Judge Mahon has indicated that he will be in a position to wind up the Mahon tribunal and finish its work next year.

Ms Burton said that the Bill was originally published in November 2006. "We did not hear much about it until the Taoiseach was going before the tribunals. At that point the former minister for justice, equality and law reform decided that the Bill was urgent and should be taken.

"At that stage, the Labour Party objected, supported strongly then by the Green Party, the Government decided correctly not to proceed.

"What is different now, other than that the Greens are sitting on the Government benches as opposed to the Opposition benches?" She claimed that "many will see this as essentially a form of potential intimidation of the tribunal in the context of the Taoiseach being due to appear again in the near future".

Mr Cowen said that the tribunals were carrying on independently. "In the case of the Mahon tribunal, it has indicated when it wishes to end its public hearings next year.

"This issue has been on the order paper for some time and predates such considerations. I do not see any connection whatsoever between both issues, except as another example of political opportunism by the Opposition," Mr Cowen said.