THE Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, has set up an ad-hoc commission to supervise the publication of the case for and against the constitutional amendment on bail.
The commission will comprise the Ombudsman, Mr Kevin Murphy, with the clerk of the Dail and the clerk of the Seanad. The chairman of the Bar Council, Mr, James Nugent, is to be asked to nominate two senior counsel, one to draw up the case for, the other the case against, the change in the bail regime.
The commission will then arrange for the publication of notices in national and local newspapers setting out the statement, not later than one week before polling day.
The setting up of the commission was welcomed by the Right, I, to Bail Campaign last night. It pointed out that the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, last week said she had no plans to provide information to the public on the issue.
The campaign "argued that this would be in violation of the spirit and principles of the Supreme Court decision in the McKenna case
The campaign said it did not have the resources to ensure that a full and fair debate took place.