McDowell tells Dail of 'anger' over Ansbacher

The Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell told the Dáil it was hard to get away from a feeling of "anger and revulsion" at the details contained within the Ansbacher report.

He said there was no getting away from the hypocrisy of those who had postured with alleged concerns about society, yet who had opted out privately from the problems they were supposed to deal with publicly.

The Minister rebuffed criticisms of his office for pointing out possible difficulties in securing prosecutions. He said the time-scales involved and the fact that the investigators admitted evidence had been destroyed were obstacles to prosecutions that would not go away.

Mr McDowell added the investigators had powers to compel testimony that were not available to prosecutors. Evidence obtained by this method and contained within the report was not admissible in court, he added.

There was praise, too, for his party leader’s role in ensuring the report was completed.

Mr McDowell said on a number of occasions the Tánaiste’s motivation and the conduct and timing of this inquiry had been called into question. "Deputies have on occasion suggested that she was delaying the outcome of this inspection with a view to seeking electoral advantage in the last election.

"I think it should be stated clearly here that she took the right course putting the matter into the hands of the inspectors who were subject to only the High Court.

The Minister added under the terms of the Company’s Act he would be applying to the courts to have the companies mentioned the report are made liable for the €3.2 million cost, not the taxpayer.