Fianna Fáil loses third vote in three days on calling Attorney General to attend Seanad

The Government has voted down for the third time in the Seanad a Fianna Fáil call for the Attorney General to answer questions about the Garda tapes controversy.

Last week, and again on Tuesday and yesterday, Fianna Fáil forced a vote that “in accordance with standing order 56, that the Attorney General be invited to the Seanad today to discuss the taping of telephone conversations in Garda stations”.

The party lost the vote yesterday by 23 to 14, but Marc MacSharry said it would every day “until further notice” seek the attendance of the Government’s legal adviser in the Seanad.

He added that the account of events by the Department of Justice secretary general and the Minister for Justice “display a disgraceful contempt for the public” and the “fantasy account of events” was simply not believable.

Seanad leader Maurice Cummins said it was "regrettable that the Senator's party continues to play politics with this very serious matter". The Government had set up a commission of inquiry and it was "grossly irresponsible of Fianna Fáil to suggest we do anything that might impinge in any way such an inquiry".

Labour Seanad leader Ivana Bacik described Fianna Fáil's action as "an act of desperation and a desperate diversionary tactic" to move attention away "from its own serious responsibility for the matters that have come to light".