Opposition urges IBRC Dáil debate

The TD at the centre of the Denis O’Brien parliamentary privilege controversy has been joined by the two main opposition parties in calls for a special Dáil debate on IBRC deals for customers, Siteserv, and KPMG’s investigation into the affair.

Independent TD Catherine Murphy was backed last night by Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin after the High Court confirmed revelations she made in the Dáil last Thursday about Mr O’Brien can be reported in full.

However, despite the developments, Mr O’Brien continued to criticise the TD, saying she is “disseminating untruths”, and confirmed he is planning to take a case against the State to clarify the demarcation line between Dáil privilege and court decisions.

Mr Justice Donald Binchy yesterday said an injunction preventing RTÉ from reporting on Mr O’Brien’s personal dealings with IBRC was “never intended” to extend to parliamentary privilege “utterances” protected under article 15.12 of the Constitution.

He confirmed all media are free to report on Ms Murphy’s contribution to a debate last Thursday, in which she revealed Mr O’Brien was allowed to repay loans to IBRC with a 1.25% interest rate when the State-owned bank could have sought a 7.25% rate, saving him “upwards of €500m”.

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Ms Murphy said in light of the decision she will now seek a special Dáil debate which will include “how borrowings and interest rates were dealt with” by IBRC, the controversial Siteserv deal, and KPMG’s ongoing investigation of the affair.

She said she already had backing for such a debate from “45 Dáil deputies” before Thursday’s controversy and that the reality is a “wide, competent inquiry” into the issues cannot take place in the current Government-backed KPMG format.

However, it is believed the Coalition is unlikely to back a full debate on all matters, and instead limit any discussion to one surrounding parliamentary privilege.

Despite the ruling, Mr O’Brien last night repeated his assertion Ms Murphy is “disseminating untruths” and that “the irrefutable fact is the falsified material put before the Dáil is wrong” — a claim she denies.

“Today’s court decision changes absolutely nothing as to the fact of the peddling of material deliberately falsified”, said Mr O’Brien via a spokesman.

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