THE Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, repeated that she had not discussed Judge Dominic Lynch's participation in the Special Criminal Court with the Attorney General.

Replying to the Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, she said: "You may talk about it as being extraordinary or not ... I ask you to accept the truth of that. The AG confirms that he did not have such a conversation with me...

"I hope you are not saying that you believe I am lying, because I am not lying. I did not have such a conversation."

Mrs Owen said that the judge's undated letter, which they now knew was sent on the afternoon of October 10th, had arrived in her constituency office in the Department but she did not receive it.

The letter, as she understood it, was marked "personal" and went to her personal assistant, who was responsible for opening "personal" letters. Her personal assistant could recall getting the letter and opening it, but the assistant did not know whom she gave it to in the courts section. "I am sorry I don't know the answer