Cowen rejects calls to expand committee

Demands that the membership of the special Oireachtas committee on child protection be expanded were rejected by Minister for Finance Brian Cowen.

Mr Cowen, who was taking the Order of Business, said the Government, the main Opposition parties and the technical group (Greens, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party and a number of Independents) had made their nominations.

"In the interests of efficacy, proportionality of representation, getting on with the important business and reporting back to this House so that we can make the necessary decisions, we propose proceeding as suggested."

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the committee was comparable to the all-party committee on the Constitution, and it was unacceptable to exclude smaller parties like his.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said that in line with the Taoiseach's oft-repeated commitment to establish a committee representative of all parties in the House, Sinn Féin had nominated one of its members but, like the Green Party, was denied that access.

Mr Cowen said the composition of the committee was based on proportionality of representation in the House.

"Obviously the committee will report back to a plenary session of the House, when every member will have an opportunity to discuss and debate its deliberations."

Meanwhile, Opposition demands that time be made available to debate the Sullivan report before the House adjourned yesterday for the summer were rejected by Mr Cowen.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the report dealt with a failure in communications between the DPP's office and the Attorney General's office in respect of a constitutional crisis whereby a self-confessed child rapist walked free for a temporary period.

Mr Cowen said he understood the Taoiseach had mentioned that it would probably be raised at the committee.