Ruling out of questions to Noonan on IBRC inquiry a ‘farce’, says Doherty

Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty has described as a "farce" the decision to rule out questions tabled to Minister for Finance Michael Noonan about the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) investigation.

Mr Doherty said he objected “in the strongest possible terms” to questions he and a number of other TDs had raised being refused.

It “makes a farce of the House that elected members are being prevented from asking him questions related to the ongoing IBRC investigation, including the role played by the department and when the Minister became aware of the difficulties,” he said.

He said Mr Noonan could “step out on the plinth and anyone with a membership card for the National Union of Journalists or media accreditation can ask him the same questions, while democratically elected deputies are not entitled to ask them in the chamber”.

Mr Noonan insisted, however, that “neither I nor the department rules any question out of order”. He said questions were ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle on the advice of his office.

Leas Cheann Comhairle Michael Kitt said that if questions were ruled out of order it was “because they do not comply with standing orders”.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin later said 11 questions he had submitted had been ruled out of order. He said they related to when the Minister for Finance, Taoiseach and their departments had become aware of the inquiry chairman’s concerns about confidentiality and privilege in documents.

He had also asked if there had been objections to information being released. Mr Martin said he had been told the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance had no official responsibility to Dáil Éireann in these matters.