THE Fianna Fail spokesman on Social Welfare, Dr Michael Woods, is to be asked to appear before the Dail Committee on Procedure and Privileges in a row over comments he made in the House about the Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson.
However, Dr Woods said yesterday he will not appear before the CPP unless the Attorney General or the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, also attend. "My going before the committee depends on that," he added.
The decision to call Dr Woods before the committee arises from the Dail debate on December 3rd on the resignation of Mr Michael Lowry and his replacement as Minister by Mr Alan Dukes.
In the course of a lengthy contribution, Dr Woods referred to a meeting in Government Buildings on the previous Saturday which was reported in the newspapers. Mr Lowry's resignation was announced shortly after this gathering, According to Dr Woods in his Dail comments, the Attorney General attended the meeting.
However, Mr Gleeson, who had a client relationship with Mr Ben Dunne, is understood to have taken serious issue with this claim and has written to the committee complaining about it.
Sources said the Attorney General was annoyed "because he was not at the meeting and also because he, had legally represented Ben Dunne".
The matter was subsequently discussed at a meeting of the committee in December, with Government deputies arguing that the record of the House should be "corrected". Some correspondence between the committee, the Attorney General and Dr Woods ensued.
According to Dr Woods, he had offered to, appear before the committee if Mr Gleeson or Mr Bruton attended also.
In his response to the Attorney General's complaint to the CPP, he had "vigorously defended my right and duty as an elected representative to raise this matter in Dail Eireann. On the basis that were I or any other elected representative to be prevented from raising such matters in the Dail, an essential element of our public democracy would be destroyed", Dr Woods said.
In his Dail contribution, Dr Woods asked if the Attorney General had the list of names of people who received payments from Dunnes Stores.
"Was he aware of the information pertaining to members or former members of the House or members of the Public Service? The Taoiseach should answers those questions. Did the Attorney General tell the Taoiseach who was on the list or did he choose not to do, so?"