Claim that Shatter warned Bar Council

SEANAD REPORT:RONAN MULLEN (Ind) said Minister for Justice Alan Shatter should come to the House and state if the Bar Council had been warned that it would be to their disadvantage if they opposed the proposal to give new powers to Oireachtas committees of inquiry.

“I would like Minister Shatter to confirm whether or not what I heard is true, that contact was made, either by him or on his behalf, with the Bar Council to try to warn them against coming out against the referendum on Oireachtas committees of inquiry, and threatening that if they did come out against it that it might go to their disadvantage as they seek to amend the forthcoming legal services Bill. If that went on, it is truly a scandal.”

There were angry exchanges between the Government and Opposition on the referendums relating to committee powers and judges’ pay. Mr Mullen accused Mr Shatter and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte of debasing public debate by the way they had conducted their arguments on the referendums. It was unworthy of them to suggest opponents were out to protect the “patch” of tribunal lawyers.

Opposition leader Darragh O’Brien (FF) unsuccessfully sought a change to the business schedule, to have Mr Shatter attend the House and explain his “arrogant” dismissal of the concerns of eight former attorneys general about the referendums.

Ivana Bacik (Lab) said all parties had supported the inquiries measure when it had been debated in the House. “With grave reservations,” said Mr O’Brien.

Ms Bacik said that despite being a member of the legal profession she supported the proposal because it involved a rebalancing of power away from the judiciary and towards elected representatives.

Terry Leyden (FF) said the most outrageous thing Mr Shatter had done was to launch an attack on Dermot Gleeson, “a former grandee of the Fine Gael party”.

Mr Leyden said he would be voting for the 30th amendment to the Constitution because it would assist in the preservation of the Seanad. It stated quite clearly that each House would have the power to conduct inquiries.