Taoiseach pressed for response to `unanswered questions' on Sheedy

The Chief State Solicitor's office has compiled a report on the Sheedy affair, the Taoiseach said.

Mr Ahern was replying to the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who asked him if he was prepared to answer questions himself about the problems arising in the Sheedy case relating to the Chief State Solicitor's office.

Mr Ahern said he regularly answered questions about the office, during Question Time, and he would do so in the normal way. The Attorney General had informed him earlier in the morning that he had been talking to the Chief State Solicitor's office, which intended issuing a report. "They will do that, hopefully tonight, but definitely tomorrow."

Asked by Mr Bruton if the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would be doing likewise, given that he was not represented in the case at a "crucial moment", the Taoiseach said he had no jurisdiction over the DPP.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said there had been a partial description, but not a complete one, of why there had been a systems failure. The report being compiled by the Chief State Solicitor's office would complete the description, but there was no guarantee of that. The House was not questioning the independence, but the performance, of the DPP.

"Would the Taoiseach not agree that for this matter to be satisfactorily resolved, so that it does not repeat itself, the unanswered questions need to be answered?"

Mr Ahern said he would answer questions relating to the Chief State Solicitor's office. If questions were tabled relating to the DPP, all he could do was make the DPP aware of them.

Mr Bruton said: "I would advise the Taoiseach that there is a measure of answerability on the part of the Taoiseach for the DPP, not for individual cases but for the general administration of the office."

Mr Quinn asked if the Department of the Taoiseach had any legislative proposals to ensure that the operation of the relevant offices, including the independent office of the DPP, would be restructured so as to avoid a repetition of a systems failure.

Mr Ahern said that what had been highlighted in the Hamilton report, the Department's report and in Mrs Justice Denham's report of last autumn had to be taken into account. Asked by Mr Quinn if he would undertake to publish the Denham report, Mr Ahern said it was hoped to do so shortly.

Asked by Mr Bruton if the terms of reference of the Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights would be changed to allow it examine the unanswered questions on the case, Mr Ahern said it should proceed with its work. "If the committee has difficulties with its work, then we will have to look at that."

Mr Bruton said there were still unanswered questions, despite the publication of a lot of information.

"I am not too sure how we will ever get to the end of those," Mr Ahern said.