O’Brien uproar is a failure of courage, not a constitutional crisis

It is an essential public interest that the proceedings of the Oireachtas are reported, writes Gerard Howlin

Last Thursday when Catherine Murphy made her Dáil speech — the subject of much controversy since — only 24 hours had passed since the former Financial Regulator, Patrick Neary, attended the Banking Inquiry. Much has been made of the dysfunction of responsibility between him, and the former Governor of the Central Bank, John Hurley.

But the governance and effectiveness of the same Oireachtas conducting that enquiry makes the antics within the Central Bank seem a model of clarity. It is nominally presided over by a Ceann Comhairle — an office institutionally so weak, it is not fit for purpose.