Questions & Answers - Thank you, Dr Bowman

For over 20 years John Bowman’s Questions & Answers programme has made a real contribution to political debate by allowing the public to have their say with politicians on the issues of the day.

This was probably never more apparent than the dressing down which Michael O’Brien delivered to Minister Noel Dempsey following the publication of the Ryan report.

Questions & Answers also had a profound impact on the presidential election of 1990 after Brian Lenihan denied that he had tried to influence President Paddy Hillery in relation to the dissolution of the Dáil in 1982. This set in train a series of events that led to the election of Mary Robinson.

There were also memorable cross-party contributions from Pat Cox in relation to the Phoenix Park affair involving Emmet Stagg, and Charlie McCreevy’s defence of the Fine Gael politician arrested outside a brothel.

As an accomplished historian, with an earned doctorate, Dr Bowman exhibited an in-depth grasp of the implications of events. It is to be hoped he will continue to contribute to the public discourse on events.