Attorney General remarks criticised

A Fine Gael claim that the Attorney General was involving himself in policy issues was rejected by the Taoiseach.

The Fine Gael spokesman on finance, Mr Michael Noonan, said Mr Michael McDowell had been speaking on company law and was also at the launch of the national plan. "Effectively, he is becoming involved in policy matters, which is his prerogative. However, if he becomes involved in policy matters, he should be accountable to the House."

Mr Ahern replied that there was no change in the way in which the AG carried out his business. The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the AG was quoted as making a statement to the effect that the Government was considering setting up a special division of the High Court to fast-track disputes relating to planning applications and infrastructural development. Mr Ahern said the matter was under consideration as a way to speed up the infrastructural projects announced in the national plan.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said that as a former Taoiseach he believed it inherently unsatisfactory that the AG should express policy opinion on matters where he was the confidential legal adviser to the Government.

Mr Ahern said he believed that the AG had not interfered with policy decisions or made them.