THE GOVERNMENT is heading into further controversy over the latest judicial debacle despite its comfortable victory by 79 votes to 70 in the confidence motion in the Dail last night.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, gave his unqualified support to the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General and pledged his trust in his Coalition partners in a concluding speech which excoriated Fianna Fail for its lack of accountability in the events of 1994.
Mr Spring said that what was hurting members of Fianna Fail was the reality that they had been done in then by the truth, nothing more, nothing less". They could not bear it now when they saw a Government Minister facing up to a difficult situation "truthfully and honestly".
As Mr Sean Cromien and Dr Edmond Molloy began interviewing officials in the Department of Justice yesterday in their inquiry into the failure to implement a Government decision agreeing to the removal of Judge Dominic Lynch from the Special Criminal Court it became increasingly obvious that the debacle had not ended with the confidence vote.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, is to report to the Dail on the inquiry's findings next week.
Ms Liz O'Donnell, spokeswoman on justice for the Progressive Democrats, intends to press Mrs Owen in the Dail next week to answer claims of "serious abuses" in work practices in Limerick and other prisons.
Ms O'Donnell said yesterday that she had written to the Minister confidentially about allegations of a most serious nature" on September 6th, but had received no reply. Like others, she said, she had sent a reminder to the Minister on September 25th. She was finally "graced with a reply" on October 8th, indicating that there had been a change in work practices to remedy the situation.
Fianna Fail has also tabled a series of Dail questions to the Taoiseach for next week, further probing the role of the Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson, in the affair, which led to the release of a number of high security prisoners.
In exchanges yesterday with the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach said that the full text of the correspondence from Mr Gleeson would be made available to the internal inquiry. Mr Bruton ruled out any immediate release to the Dail of the two letters, one of which contained legal advice, on the grounds that never has any government published the advice of the Attorney General to it".
Mr Bruton was obviously unaware that, in different circumstances, the legal advice of two former Attorneys General, Mr John Murray and Mr Eoghan Fitzsimons - relating to the Father Patrick Ryan and Duggan extradition cases, respectively - had been published. Another Attorney General, Mr Peter Sutherland, went public with his legal reasons for rejecting the Fianna Fail wording for the first abortion amendment.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Bruton said that he was not in a position to give detailed information to Mr Ahern about the legislation to set up statutory boards to run the courts and the prison service. He confirmed to the Dail that what was being proposed in both instances was executive agencies which, in accordance with practice, would be responsible for the implementation of policy.
