Fine Gael's deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, apologised "unequivocally" to the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, for any inference that he might have had an "improper personal involvement" in the promotion of one of the judges in the Sheedy case.
During a debate on the issue on March 31st, before the Easter recess, Mrs Owen made reference to "the Cahirciveen connection".
"I wish to withdraw any inferences made or taken from my comments that the Minister might have known about the Sheedy case before he recommended a person for judicial appointment to the Government.
"I fully accept the Minister's statement made the next day, April 1st, that the first he knew about this case was on February 10th when he was informed by the Attorney General. Although the Minister was not present himself on March 31st to hear my comments I have no hesitation in apologising unequivocally to him now for this incorrect reference."
However, the Dublin North TD criticised the Minister for not seeking to have the investigation carried out by the Chief Justice completed more speedily.
Mrs Owen also sought the Minister's opinion on whom he believed in the contradictory statements and "unanswered questions" that were in the appendices of the Chief Justice's report.
Labour's justice spokesman, Mr Brendan Howlin, said that while careers had been lost, reputations damaged and incomes decreased, a young woman had lost her life, her husband was seriously injured and two children were robbed of the care and affection of their mother.
This happened when "a new sports car, driven in a reckless manner by a young man with more than the legally-permitted level of alcohol in his blood, flew across a roundabout and struck the Ryan car in a matter likened by witnesses to `a missile' ".
Mr Howlin said the family had an expectation that the State would see that justice was done, that the person responsible for Ms Ryan's death would be brought to account and dealt with in a fitting manner by the courts system. Noth ing could compensate the family for their loss, "but they must have drawn some comfort, at least, when the court case was completed and the sentence imposed".
There was clear negligence and laxity by the State in the handling of the Sheedy case, according to Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim Higgins.
There were undoubtedly major judicial misdemeanours involved but "there is incredible slovenliness and inconsistency in the State' s handling of this matter".
That was a major contributory factor to the debacle, he said.