As the Tánaiste may be aware, very serious long-standing allegations of sexual abuse by the late Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí, teacher and founder of Coláiste na bhFiann, became the subject of an internal Garda review in April 2013. The review was initiated under the watch of former Garda Commissioner, Mr. Martin Callinan. The review was deemed necessary because of very serious concerns relating to investigations into these complaints of abuse by An Garda Síochána. Victims feel very let down by the Garda and the criminal justice system, although it should also be said that other agencies of the State, including the Department of Education and Skills, the HSE and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, similarly failed victims in their quest for justice.

Their experience of botched investigations and institutional prevarication amount to what they believe to be a cover up. The scale of abuse perpetrated by Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí is truly shocking. Some estimate that as many as 100 victims may have suffered at his hands. One of his victims was 13 years old when he was abused. His name is Gearóid Ó Conchubhair. I raise his case today at his request and with his consent.

I now understand that the Garda internal review has concluded on the watch of Ms Noirín O'Sullivan, formerly acting and now confirmed Garda Commissioner. I understand that the review report has been with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, since July. I have with me a copy of the letter sent to Gearóid Ó Conchubhair, refusing him access to that review report. The letter very coldly informed the victim that the review has concluded, but that he will not receive a copy of that review detailing findings and conclusions. Other victims have received the same letter.

I am sure the Tánaiste will agree that this is mind-boggling. However, equally concerning is that Tusla has informed victims that its inquiry into these abuse complaints is being held up because the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice and Equality have failed to pass on necessary information. What is going on? Will the Tánaiste join me in calling on the Garda Commissioner to make the review report available to victims immediately? Will she join me in calling on the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice and Equality to instruct that all information required by Tusla be passed on without delay?

As I am sure the Deputy will agree with me, all sexual abuse, whether of adults or children, is reprehensible. The Deputy might possibly join others in the House in condemning all sexual abuse. We recently had a discussion on that issue regarding the Maíria Cahill case. If I recall, her response regarding that case left much to be desired.

On the case the Deputy has referred to, as she is aware I do not have access to the kind of detailed information that she has just brought to the floor of the House. Down the years I have heard suggestions and reports of what might have happened in that case and with the person who has been identified as the accuser. Given that this case is one that has been talked about over a long number of years, I am sure that those people have suffered grievously. I extend my sympathies to anyone who may have suffered at the hands of this individual whom the Deputy has identified. In order to deal with this in a responsible way the Deputy should raise the issues, which presumably she has obtained on a confidential basis from some of the people affected by the abuse, directly with the Ministers for Justice and Equality, and Children and Youth Affairs, particularly in the context of the very detailed statements and allegations she has made.

I am sure everybody in the House would be deeply concerned about any suggestion of a cover up. We heard in detail Sinn Féin describe the cover up of sexual abuse that happened on its watch in communities in the North of Ireland and with supporters in the Republic. We heard about that in detail. We have had that confirmed in detail. Sinn Féin Members said that such cases had to be examined in great detail.

I suggest the Deputy takes this up first with the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs because in terms of the detailed allegations she has now made on the floor of the House I am not in a position to respond on the detail of those allegations. I think she is very aware of that. If she is seeking to assist with the victims, it might be more appropriate to go through the Ministers who have responsibility directly in relation to this in the first instance and then we can deal with it when we or they are in a position to determine, in relation to the inquiries and the allegations she has made, as to how then to proceed and respond.

In case the Tánaiste did not hear me clearly, in the years that I am in this House in so far as I am concerned and the women and men of Sinn Féin are concerned, anybody culpable of crimes such as this faces the full rigours of the law-----

What about your actions? You say one thing and do another.

-----but I understand that the Tánaiste raised this by way of diversion and perhaps we will leave that discussion to another day. I am raising this issue on the floor of the House because I have been asked to do so. It has been requested of me as a parliamentarian.

Many things are requested of the Deputy.

One might ask why this request has been made. The simple reason is because these victims have faced a brick wall, institutionally, through the various Departments that I mentioned to the Tánaiste - Education, the Gaeltacht, the HSE, the Department of Justice and Equality and, indeed, An Garda Síochána. That is the reality. There is little point in the Tánaiste saying to me to say back to those victims to go to those various agencies again. They have tried that and that has failed. We know that there has been an internal review within An Garda Síochána. We know the review is complete. We know it has been with the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, for four months. We also know, through the victims who have asked me to raise it here today, that Tusla is being held up because of a refusal of the Garda and the Department of Justice and Equality to forward on information.

Thank you.

Without getting into the specifics of the case, because clearly the Tánaiste does not have the specifics even though this has been a matter of public concern for a number of years and has been well publicised, could she not simply agree with me on behalf of those victims but most particularly on behalf of Gearóid Ó Conchubhair-----

Sorry, Deputy, you are way over time.

-----who wants that review report, that it be given to him? Could she not also agree that the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Garda Commissioner must hand on whatever information Tusla requires without delay?

As the Deputy has raised this without any notification, I have to say to her in regard to this particular case, which has been spoken of over a long number of years, that she and people in Sinn Féin would be very well aware of the fact that Mr. Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí was identified for a long period of time very closely as a very significant and important republican figure. Whether or not he was associated with Sinn Féin or at what stage-----

What has that got to do with it?

This is ridiculous, disgraceful.

A family is listening to this.

-----he was associated with Sinn Féin-----

He was a lot closer to people in the Minister's party than anything to do with our party.

That is the wrong track.

Ask some of your Ministers and they will tell you about it.

Sorry, please.

Certainly in any reference that I ever heard to Mr. Ó Lubhlaí, his connections to the republican movement were always very strongly identified. Deputy McDonald might not like to hear that-----

That is false.

-----but that is the reality.

And how is that relevant?

That is false information.

Deputy McDonald knows the history of the republican movement better than anybody else in this House.

That is false information and the Tánaiste knows that.

It has nothing to do with this.

Mr. Ó Lubhlaí has been characterised in previous media reports, as Deputy McDonald well knows, as being a paedophile rapist on a very significant scale in relation to children who came under his care and attention. I do not have the results of the Garda investigations to hand but he was a very prominent republican during his life. He died before the investigation was completed-----

The Government has that.

-----and in numerous media comments in relation to the investigation-----

It is sitting on the review.

----- it was always pointed out that his links into the republican movement were of deep significance. We know-----

Tánaiste, we are way over time.

-----from the discussion previously and the acknowledgements by the Deputy's party that in fact there has been a problem of paedophilia and sex abuse particularly of children in the republican movement-----

A cover up.

-----and cover ups.

The Deputy knows that. She has acknowledged it.

I call Deputy Murphy.

A Cheann Comhairle-----

No, the Deputy had her question. I call Deputy Murphy.

That comment was outrageous.

A Cheann Comhairle-----

Sorry, Deputy. I do not want to go through this again with you.

The Tánaiste needs to withdraw that remark.

Hold on a minute. Would you mind staying quiet and would you resume your seat, please?

And would you ask the Tánaiste to retract that statement?

Will you resume your seat please? There is system here. The question is asked, the Tánaiste replies in this instance, the Deputy has a supplementary question and the Tánaiste replies-----

And she made an accusation which should be withdrawn from the record.

-----and then I move on to the next question. I will move on and call Deputy Murphy. Deputy Murphy, please.

A false accusation.

Deputy Murphy, will you please proceed with your question?

A Cheann Comhairle-----

If a political charge is made here, it is not for me to-----

A Cheann Comhairle, I want to point this out to you. A specific charge was made-----

I am not putting up with this once again.

-----against an organisation, which is contrary to Standing Orders.

I will suspend the House if the Deputy does not resume his seat.

The Ceann Comhairle was the very one who interrupted Deputy Adams on the exact same point.

Will the Deputy resume his seat, please?

I will.

It is a point of order.

I will resume my seat if the Ceann Comhairle will address the specific point.

Deputy, will you please resume your seat? I will suspend the House now.

Suspend away if you want.

This is outrageous. Deputy Murphy, will you please ask your question?

A Cheann Comhairle, you are allowing-----

Will you switch on the microphone for Deputy Murphy? Deputy Ó Snodaigh, resume your seat.

I will not resume my seat until you deal with a specific charge, which is contrary to Standing Orders, which is made against this organisation and the people sitting here. That is not allowed under Standing Orders as you well know.

Deputy, there is no charge made against the Members here. Deputy Murphy, please.

How can I?

Deputy Murphy, would you please ask your question?

The Ceann Comhairle is being biased; he is supposed to be impartial but he is not being impartial.

Excuse me.

He is not being impartial.

Will you stop making charges like that, please, and resume your seat? Deputy Murphy, please.

I cannot if you are not willing to-----

The House stands suspended for ten minutes.

I call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, I have taken the time to get the Standing Orders, in particular the Standing Order which you quoted to Deputy Adams on a previous occasion about defamatory remarks. We have tried to raise with you that the remarks made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection here in her last contribution were defamatory in the extreme and were aimed at Members of this House. According to Standing Orders, when such a defamatory remark is made in the House we have an opportunity to raise it with you there and then so that you can ask the Member in question to withdraw. You did not do so and you were not inclined to do so, which is why I took umbrage with the Chair.

Sorry, would you just resume for a moment. During the suspension I asked the Clerk of the Dáil to have the record checked. The record was checked and no allegation was made against the Sinn Féin Party.

The record speaks for itself.

She said, "your organisation".

Remarks were made about the republican movement.

She said, "your organisation".

Excuse me, would you listen for a moment, please. There are other parties in this House that have the term "republican party" after their name.

No. She said, "your organisation".

There was no allegation made against members of Sinn Féin.

A Cheann Comhairle, she said, "your organisation".

The Deputy has rightly asked that the remark be withdrawn. I now ask you to allow the Dáil to continue its business. I call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle-----

I have had the record checked and have had the advice of the officials who agree that no derogatory remarks were made against members of Sinn Féin. Now would you please resume your seat?

Obviously, a Cheann Comhairle if somebody refers to "your organisation" that specifically refers to a particular organisation.

No. I have had the record checked.

She had mentioned-----

He has had the record checked.

I have gone to the trouble of having the record checked-----

She had mentioned the republican movement at one part of this-----

-----and the officials who are independent have given me the advice. Now would you please sit down.

When she mentioned the republican movement-----

-----she should have looked within her own party and she would have found closer links with Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí. She specifically referred to our organisation and she specifically referred-----

Do not be holding up the proceedings. I call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, I have no intention in that regard. I have other work to do and would rather be doing it and not be in this House but every single time-----

If the Deputy wishes to check the replay he will find-----

The allegation has been made.

I will check the replay. We have checked before and we will continue to check.

My officials are not biased.

I want the record corrected. I ask that you would ask the Tánaiste at this stage to withdraw the defamatory remarks-----

No. My officials are not biased.

-----that she made today.

You are disputing the record. Check it.

You are attempting to-----

I am not asking about something said a few weeks ago. I am specifically asking that the defamatory remark "your organisation" made by the Tánaiste in her contribution today in the Dáil be withdrawn.

Would you please check the record because I have checked it and-----

No. I am asking for it now because if I leave this Chamber then what she said sits on the record. I want you to correct the record.

Sorry, Deputy. Please show respect.

Resume your seat. I will review the record of the Dáil with you personally and the officials.

I want it done now. The defamatory remark was made now. The opportunity is supposed to be available for Members of this House to get you-----

This is a deliberate attempt to obstruct-----

An allegation was made.

The allegations and defamatory remarks were made now and should be withdrawn now and not in a week's time.

If you do not resume your seat I will have to suspend the sitting again.

Well then do that.

I would prefer if you did not. I would prefer if you just asked a simple question of the Tánaiste-----

Would you please resume your seat?

-----to withdraw the defamatory remarks.

Would you please resume your seat?

You cannot have allegations like that being made.

Will you please resume your seat?

I will resume my seat if you are willing to address that issue.

I am suspending the House for half an hour.

I call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

I am not inclined to delay the Dáil any further but we have looked at the transcript of the contribution made by the Tánaiste - the second contribution. At the start of that, she made a very defamatory comment about Sinn Féin, specifically, and what led thereafter-----

If you have a complaint, please give it to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I dealt with the situation that arose fairly and openly-----

No, you did not.

-----and the record clearly shows that any reference was not towards Sinn Féin. That is on the record for anybody to see. Would you please stop holding up the business of the House. I want to get on and call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

A Cheann Comhairle-----

If you want to bring this matter to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, by all means do so.

If you allow me to finish-----

You cannot hold up the House once again.

I have no intention of doing so. As I said, I have other work to do in the House today, and in this Chamber.

I ask you to resume your seat and let us get back to normal business.

If you allow me to finish-----

-----I will finish quite quickly. What the Tánaiste said - I will not go through the whole script-----

No, you certainly will not.

Just for the record-----

I have got the record and it is clear.

-----she said Sinn Féin has tried to cover up sexual abuse-----

Sorry, Deputy. Please-----

-----on its watch.

We are not going into this.

That is what she said.

The record is there for everybody to see.

That is a specific defamatory charge against a party.

I have distributed the record.

I ask that it be withdrawn.

I am going to suspend the House again if you do not resume your seat.

You are not holding this House to ransom.

Resume your seat. The record is there. Will you resume your seat? I am calling Deputy Catherine Murphy, who is entitled to have her question answered.

We are entitled to-----

We are not here to deal with what was said. The record is clear.

If you allow me 30 seconds to finish the sentence I was in the middle of, then you would see it is a reasonable request. If you are not going to ask the Tánaiste to withdraw that defamatory remark-----

Hold on a second-----

-----I will-----

I do not know what remark you are referring to. I reviewed the record. The record is there for everybody to see.

I call on Deputy Catherine Murphy. If you do not resume your seat, I will have to suspend the sitting again, so make up your mind.

Thirty seconds.

You are not holding this House ransom.

I was just going to say that if you were not going to do that, I would refer the matter to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

Resume your seat. If you have a problem, you can come to me afterwards and I will deal with it.

If you are not willing to be reasonable-----

Will you please resume your seat? I call Deputy Catherine Murphy.

Sorry-----

Will you resume your seat?

If you give me the 30 seconds-----

I am suspending the House.

Rather than delay the House further I ask that the Tánaiste's remarks, which have not been withdrawn, be referred to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges so that the work of this House can continue today but that the CPP may be able to look at this matter.

It is a matter of making a formal complaint to the CPP and it will be dealt with in the normal way.

I have no problem doing that. I had hoped that the Ceann Comhairle might refer it but I will do that.