Moriarty draft 'not seen or discussed', says Tánaiste

THE GOVERNMENT has neither seen nor discussed a draft copy of the Moriarty report, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has told the Dáil as she was challenged to say whether the State had rejected the report's findings.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said "it has been suggested to me that one Government department - the Department of Communications - had issued an initial statement on Friday night that the Government had rejected the findings of the tribunal. Now that would be a quite remarkable statement to have been issued particularly since the tribunal has not yet reported to the House," he said.

He sought clarification because there were "rumours all over the place" about what the document contained. He asked if the Government collectively, or individual members, "have seen draft sections of the report" and if the Department of Communications issued a statement, which it subsequently withdrew, that the Government rejected the findings.

Ms Coughlan said the Government "has not seen the Moriarty report, nor has it discussed it" and the report was an issue for the Oireachtas and not for the Government.

Raising the issue of the final report of the tribunal's inquiry, into the awarding of the State's second mobile phone licence, Mr Gilmore referred to reports that a newspaper (The Irish Times) had "pulped a large number of copies of the newspaper last week because of threats of injunction from the tribunal, if the paper published material in the draft report".

"A second newspaper based in Britain yesterday suggested the Government was concerned at certain findings in the draft report and that this could entail a further battle through the courts between the Government and the tribunal," he said. "Now the House at the moment is awash with rumours about what may be contained in the draft report."

Mr Gilmore asked Leas Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin if the House had received any communication from the tribunal "as to when the final report will be published, and have you any information as to what is going on"?

Mr Howlin said "the Ceann Comhairle or the clerk has not had any information in relation to this matter". Mr Gilmore asked if the Government was "considering legal action to block publication of the report in its entirety or some parts of the report". There were "rumours all over the place about what is in the report or isn't in it and what the Government's reaction to it may be".

"I want to know has the Government got this report? Have individual Ministers got this report?" And did the Department of Communications state that the Government rejected the findings of the report.

Ms Coughlan reiterated that the "tribunal is not answerable to the Government. It is answerable to this House".

She said: "The Government hasn't seen any report. It has made no comment on any report. And the proper processes and procedures will be followed to the Nth degree."

Mr Gilmore replied: "Do I take it from that reply then that the Tánaiste is saying that no Minister in the Government has seen a copy of the draft report?"

"What I want to say is that the Government has not dealt with this report", Ms Coughlan responded, and it was inappropriate "for me to speculate on items that have been printed in the newspapers".