Motion of censure against Shatter described as 'bogus'

A FIANNA Fáil motion of censure against Minister for Justice Alan Shatter was described by the Taoiseach as “bogus”.

Enda Kenny refused to give the Opposition party Government time to debate the motion. Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Dara Calleary had claimed Mr Shatter “deliberately withheld” directly relevant information relating to correspondence between his office and the Smithwick Tribunal.

Mr Kenny told Mr Calleary that it was a “bogus motion” because all the issues had been dealt with by the Minister and the correspondence had been laid before the Oireachtas library.

He reiterated comments made earlier in the week that the taxpayer funded tribunals and “the motion establishing the Smithwick Tribunal required that within 10 days of public hearings an interim report would be produced”.

He said the Minister “is quite right in having the public given up-to-date reports on the progress of the tribunal”.

Mr Shatter changed the tribunal’s terms of reference in a Dáil motion demanding the inquiry furnish details about its work by June 30th and complete its final report by November 30th.

The tribunal was established to investigate suggestions of collusion by gardaí in the murders in 1989 of two senior RUC officers.

When Mr Calleary insisted that the Minister had withheld information, Mr Kenny repeated that “all the correspondence is available and if the party wishes to pursue the motion of censure it should do so in Private Members’ time”.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin accused the Taoiseach of “avoiding” the question.

Stressing that it was “a very serious issue”, Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil had called for all documentation to “be provided to members before the motion amending the terms of reference came before the House”. No such documentation was provided, and TDs were “denied access to crucial correspondence”.

When he said that the documentation was withheld from TDs, Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett said “you are making a very serious charge here”. Mr Martin replied that “it is factual. It happened.” The Ceann Comhairle said if Fianna Fáil “wishes to use its Private Members’ time to debate the issue, it can do so”.