Lawlor: 'I acted like any Sean citizen'

Liam Lawlor has told the Dail that in his reponses to the Flood Tribunal, he " was acting as any elected representative or Sean citizen would do - I took legal advice."

He said that on Day Four of his appearance before the tribunal, he was asked about his credit card records. "I did not see the purpose of this and I refused to answer," he told the Dail.

He accepted that not answering "had been a monumental mistake" because "it was interpreted as lack of cooperation" and therefore referred to the High Court.

Deputy Lawlor - who is taking part in a Dail debate on a motion to call for his resignation - told the House that, before the Flood Tribunal entered his life, he "thought discovery was a television channel".

Bertie Ahern had earlier said that "Liam Lawlor has failed to live up to the standard that can be reasonably expected of a Dáil deputy".