Terms of banking inquiry
Senators debate whether prior public comments should exclude Members from the banking inquiry, while Senator Coghlan says the inquiry’s legal framework needs clarification and may require independent experts.
Senator Darragh O'Brien made some very interesting points this morning on the proposed banking inquiry, followed by Senators John Whelan, Sean D. Barrett and Marc MacSharry who also made interesting points, particularly on the possible exclusion of the Seanad. It is important to remind the House that my opposite number in the Dáil, the Government Chief Whip, Deputy Paul Kehoe, said this morning on "Morning Ireland" that this is not a Government inquiry, it is an Oireachtas all-party inquiry. He also said that some proposed terms of reference have been shown to all parties. He stated that the new Standing Orders will come before the Dáil by 4 February and the Seanad by 13 February. Therefore, I assume we will have a say in the matter. More importantly, I appreciate very much what Senator Sean D. Barrett said, that if we are to find people who have no public bias whatsoever, it will not be possible to find any Deputy or Senator------
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-----because we have all certainly commented. Perhaps some of us were more judgmental in the views offered than others. I am sure it is appreciated by the Government or the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges, which I understand has already had a meeting, that clarity is needed on the legal advice. I think it will not be possible to set it up and that a committee of experts will be required
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It will be left to the Senator to question them.
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Perhaps an inquiry on the model of the Leveson inquiry is what the Senator has in mind. I do not know. The point I make is that we should hold our fire until we have more detail.