THE Taoiseach has indicated that he would refuse to accept the Minister for Justice's resignation if it were offered to him.
He told journalists outside Government Buildings yesterday that "it won't arise and I wouldn't entertain it because I think Nora Owen has proven herself to be the best Minister for Justice we have had in recent times. She has been an excellent Minister, is an excellent Minister and will continue to be an excellent Minister for Justice."
He continued that Mrs Owen had been very open and honourable about the difficulties in the Department of Justice and nothing would be concealed. "I think that willingness to face issues has been a characteristic of the Minister for Justice and it is a very good characteristic."
He thought there was something wrong in the Department of Justice. This sort of thing should not happen. But it was entirety premature to talk about sanctions "if there are to be sanctions at all, until we have got the facts".
Mr Bruton said the Government should not attempt to make a scapegoat of anybody. The Minister had come into the Dail and accepted political responsibility very fully. The Minister did not deal with every item of correspondence personally. A Department was not a one-person operation.
If questions were put down in the Dail about the Attorney General, he would be happy to answer them.
Asked if there was a change in the standards for a ministerial resignation, Mr Bruton said Mr Phil Hogan's position was different from Mrs Owen's. "The Minister (Mr Hogan) was actually aware of some of the things that happened himself and he honourably took the responsibility for what he was aware of or authorised."
"In this case the Minister for Justice was not aware of the fact that a Government decision which was the responsibility of her Department to implement had not been implemented," he said.
