A NEW Dail row which erupted yesterday over the Department of Justice's handling of the delisting of Judge Dominic Lynch culminated in a walk-out by an angry Fianna Fail TD after he failed to get an apology.
Fianna Fail members pressed unsuccessfully at a meeting of the Dail Committee on Legislation and Security for consideration to be given to an examination of the events surrounding the "improper composition" of the Special Criminal Court for more than three months.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, contended that the Dail had failed abysmally to establish the truth of the matter. The committee should make it known that it wanted to examine the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions as well as other figures, in relation to this matter.
The only way they were going to get to the bottom of this business was by the committee carrying out its role. It could do so only if it was in a position to interview those involved and to examine documentation.
The chairman of the committee, Mr Charles Flanagan (FG), said the Dail had already dealt with the matter extensively and conclusively. The committee had no function in the matter unless it was referred to it by the Dail.
Mr Liam Fitzgerald (FF) noted that a key fact which had emerged in the Dail last Thursday had not been referred to the Cromien/Molloy investigation team. What had become of the commitment in the Government's programme for renewal to set up a special committee to consider such matters?
Mr Flanagan claimed that Mr Fitzgerald was trying to make the committee a substitute for the Dail. He should refrain from the type of mischief he had embarked on.
Mr Flanagan added that Mr Fitzgerald was one of those "who to my mind took very little part or very little interest in the debate over the past three weeks. He was not available to attend at this committee on a number of occasions in which we sought a quorum in recent time."
Mr Fitzgerald accused the chairman of making an unwarranted and unjustified assault on him. "I reject out of hand your insinuation that my record of attendance here is anything but satisfactory."
Mr Flanagan said if there were matters which Fianna Fail members felt were not dealt with sufficiently in the Dail, they could take them up in the House.
Mr O'Donoghue said it was unfortunate that the chairman had mounted a personal attack on Mr Fitzgerald. It would have been difficult for him to contribute to the Dail debate because of the speaking arrangements.
Mr Jim O'Keeffe (FG) maintained that Fianna Fail was trying to squeeze political mileage out of an issue which had been debated ad nauseam in the Dail. The party had failed to make progress there and it was now trying to raise it anew. An attempt in the Dail to set up a special inquiry had been defeated in the House.
Mr Flanagan said the committee had been unable to conduct its business recently for a number of reasons. He was not singling out Mr Fitzgerald.
Pressing his party's view, Mr O'Donoghue said at the very least, the chairman should ensure, in the interests of democracy, that the committee had an opportunity of indicating to the Oireachtas that it wished to have an inquiry into this affair.
Mr Flanagan said that in the future the Dail wished to refer the matter to the committee, this could be done.
Mr O'Donoghue argued that the chairman was being completely unreasonable in refusing the minimum request that had been made by the Opposition. "We will pursue it elsewhere."
Before storming out of the meeting, Mr Fitzgerald, who is his party's convenor on the committee, said he would not be co-operating with it until he had received an unequivocal apology for the allegation the chairman had made in regard to his attendance record.