W2C-012 Irish Times 2-2.txt
Cover-up by senior FF Ministers, says Harney

THERE was a cover-up by senior Fianna Fail Ministers, the leader of the Progressive Democrats, Ms Mary Harney told the House. Whichever Minister was resonsible for the handwritten note attached to the supplementary reply on the Duggan case "knew exactly its significance", she said.

"They were anxious that the Taoiseach should not deviate because they knew that an unscripted Albert Reynolds would let them all down". Quoting the handwritten note - "If pressed on this question keep repeating the above" - Ms Harney said she had repeatedly asked who was the Minister who had written it. It was "a laugh" that Fianna Fail, which had done so much to discredit the judiciary, was proposing to appoint a judge to inquire into its own behaviour.

She said that other questions had not been answered. Why had the Attorney General, Mr Eoghan Fitzsimons, felt obliged in his letter to the Taoiseach on November 15th to say that the reply was the best he could do but that it did not answer the question?

"I have to laugh," Ms Harney continued, "when I heard the new Fianna Fail leader talk about openness, transparency and accountability".

She said that of course the party would want a judge to look at their behaviour, because they would be in government before the outcome would be known, and if there was a general election, the matter would be sub judice.

The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, interrupted: "That is incorrect." Ms Harney: "If so, why do you want a judge?" Mr Ahern: "Because I 'd rather a judge than you."

Ms Harney asked if the acting Minister for Social Welfare, Dr Woods, had gone to the homes of Mr Fitzsimons. She pointed out that if the Government had told the truth in the Dail on November 14th-15th, and said that Mr Whelehan had been asked to "consider his position", then Mr Whelehan's swearing in as President of the High Court would have been postponed and would have lapsed after 10 days.

She said Official A in the Attorney General's Office was supposed to take the blame, that he did not understand paedophilia, that he was too busy with other things.

She was delighted, even "at this 11th hour", that the house was beginning to get answers. "I don't believe we have got the whole truth." She said, it was a poor reflection on parliamentary democracy that the truth was coming out because of a leak to a journalist. It was only then that Labour pulled back. But she added that information had come out only because the Labour Party took the position it did.

The only place for Fianna Fail was in opposition, she said. There were alternatives, and a new administration had to be the first one. It had to be truly frank and open. She said the truth had not come out about the Masri passport affair. There had been the beef tribunal, and the tax amnesty. So a lack of openness and transparency was not just something that had happened in the past three weeks.

Ms Harney pointed out that everybody had to play their part in the task of putting a truly open and viable government in place. That was important. If that could not be done then "we should not be afraid to consult the people".

She said there was a tendency in Fianna Fail that "you must cover things up and the worst thing of all is being caught". She advised the 650,000 decent and honourable people who voted for Fianna Fail in the last election to be more discerning.
