SEANAD REPORT:CALLING FOR a Garda investigation into how the address of a vacant Dublin property owned by a brother of a former taoiseach came to be used by one of those who perpetrated the murder of a Hamas official in Dubai, Mark Daly (FF) said there must have been actions by an embassy here to supply that information. That was most serious.
Mr Daly said a lot of research had obviously been done to get the address of the ex-taoiseach’s brother and there must have been complicity in this country to come up with that information.
He would like the Minister for Justice to have a Garda investigation carried out into how that information came into the hands of the murderers. Mr Daly said Ireland had not been silent on the issues in Gaza and in the West Bank. But Europe had been silent on the invasion of Gaza, and it did not enforce the EuroMed Agreement.
Labhrás Ó Murchú asked that the House be given a report on the outcome of the meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and the Israeli ambassador. Media reports had suggested that the ambassador had stated that he had no information whatever in regard to this case.
Some of the names on the false passports were seemingly now in the public domain. One of them was a fairly high-profile businessman. “At the very least there’s an unfriendly act involved here. But, on the other hand, it could also be a very dangerous situation in the context of security and protection of Irish citizens. If it is true that Mossad was involved in this particular murder and if it is also true that they were acting on behalf of their government, then we have reached a very serious situation... I would certainly hope that, even in the interest of maintaining friendly relations, we do not sideline this issue . . . once you turn a blind eye in one case, it can be done again.”
Seanad leader Donie Cassidy said the Minister was doing everything possible to try to find out what the truth and the facts were.
Eugene Regan, Fine Gael justice spokesman, said the Taoiseach should make a statement on his relationship with Seán FitzPatrick. “I think, at this remove, that relationship looks somewhat suspect.”
Terry Leyden (FF) was quickly called to order by Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan after he had said he thought Mr Regan “is on the next assassination list”.
Mr Regan said they had read that the Dublin Docklands Authority report simply pointed out that Mr Cowen, as minister for finance, had had responsibility for increasing the cap on borrowing, which had allowed the authority to enter into a disastrous deal in relation to the Glass Bottle site. A deficit of €213 million had been left in the DDDA. Mr Cowen had had a private meeting with Mr FitzPatrick and the directors of Anglo Irish Bank. “The Taoiseach had a particular view in September 2008 in relation to the bank guarantee and the position of Anglo, and whether [it] should be considered of systemic importance.”
The Government would be weakened by the departure of minister of state Trevor Sargent, David Norris (Ind) contended. He had known Mr Sargent to be an honourable and a decent and had-working man. He believed that some element of mistake and error of judgment had led to his decision to go.
Eugene Regan said the issues they had been dealing with in recent weeks did not concern personalities but the system and administration of justice in this country. Any interference with that system, particularly coming from members of the Oireachtas, was entirely inappropriate.
Eoghan Harris (Ind) said Mr Regan should remember what had happened to Savonarola, the Italian monk who had set himself up as a paragon of virtue. Those who took the high moral ground were giving many hostages to fortune. There had been a long and bad political culture of making representations to the minister for justice. But until there was a proper code of conduct, it was very wrong that a very fine minister like Trevor Sargent should have to resign on the issue.
