I should like to preface my remarks this morning by pointing out that we are now into the third day of debate on this motion of confidence in the Government following months of allegations, smears and innuendos. It is crucial that it be pointed out that, in the absolute privilege of this House, not one single, solitary shred of evidence has been produced which would suggest in any way impropriety on the part of the Taoiseach or his Ministers. That is a most important point to make because, of course, there is absolute privilege in this House. If people did have even the slightest shred of evidence it is here, in the perfectly safe haven of this House, that such evidence should be produced. In addition, that says much about those who level the charges and allegations. It means that Irish political life has been brought to a new low, something that every politician in this country will have to face. Character assassination became the order of the day; innuendo the way to proceed, and misrepresentation a means of achieving an end. When that stage is reached in any democracy the question one must then pose is: why [935] would anybody do such a thing? I suggest that those who imply that the Taoiseach himself is absolutely power-crazed would do well now to look into their hearts. There is only one logical conclusion to be reached now. It is that those who are levelling such accusations are guilty of the crime themselves.

It is my belief that there has been an attempt from the far left and indeed the far right to attack the integrity of Fianna Fil, their record and standing in Irish life. This unremitting attack, as bitter as it was low, has failed miserably in its central objective which was to demean the party, their objectives, their past, present and future.
I am not going to become involved in innuendo, smears or misrepresentation in relation to any individual. It would be my hope that I would always take that attitude. I must say that no credit has been done to the political process. Those who have levelled the allegations have let nobody down but themselves. When all of the inquiries have been completed, when the dust has settled and the ink is dry on each and every one of these stories I predict it will be ascertained, as a definite fact, that neither the Taoiseach nor any of his Ministers was in any way involved in any of the scandals in Irish business life.
The broad mass of the Fianna Fil organisation and membership throughout the country has proven itself to be more concerned about business ethics, about high standards in political life than many of those who have been levelling the allegations in recent weeks and months. It is a downright and unfounded insult to suggest for one moment that the position is otherwise. I know that the great mass of the Fianna Fil organisation throughout the country take the gravest exception to any suggestion that the position is anything other than that.
[936] We have learned something else also. Perhaps this was one of the most regrettable features of the entire scenario. If the Fine Gael Party can be credited with anything in this country historically they can be credited with this much, that they introduced and helped to establish constitutional democracy here; that much can be said of the then Cumann na nGaedheal Party. It is a very sad day that the tradition of that party should be undermined by theatrics, their leader attempting, by way of allegation, innuendo and smear, to undermine the democratic process of which their predecessors, Cumann na Gaedheal, can be so proud. That is most regrettable. Perhaps another lesson can be learned, which is that the Fine Gael front and backbenchers ran like rats from a ship and deserted their former Leader, Deputy Dukes, who led the party with integrity and with a certain amount of decorum and dignity. The indignity they have now brought on themselves will obtain for the remainder of their existence because they have undermined their own tradition. That has been the most regrettable feature of this debate and of what has been taking place throughout this country in recent weeks and months.
I do not take any notice of The Workers' Party; I do not think anybody does.

I do not think anybody seriously believes that they are a serious alternative. We know that they have very doubtful and sinister origins; everybody knows that; I will leave it at that.
As for the Labour Party, their Leader, Deputy Spring, is a very nice man, but his entire political career has been blighted and, unfortunately, stunted by a pathological hatred of one man. Incidentally, I might add that that is not the way to proceed either.

