Money is what really lies at the root of the Laffoy debacle

“THE commission will be entirely independent in performing its functions, a point specifically provided for in the Bill. Neither the Government nor anyone else will be in a position to influence its procedures or the outcomes of its inquiries.”

Who said this about the Laffoy Commission? Was it Judge Laffoy, or some opposition politician? As a matter of fact it was Michael Woods, who was then Minister for Education.

He said it in the Dáil on March 8, 2000, when he was putting through the act that set up the Laffoy Commission. No doubt he meant it at the time.