I am saddened by the vindictiveness and viciousness on all sides of the House. I came in here in 1969 when Deputy Taylor's father was a Member and he never reverted to that sort of language she used today. I certainly do not need Deputy Taylor to tell me what standards apply to me. If the measure of decency the Deputy is talking about is the length of the knife in Alan Dukes back then we have a fair long measure to judge by. I think the Deputy knows what I am talking about.

The Deputy has set the standards in that area. The level of invective that people have felt necessary to bring to this debate has frightened me. It is not that the financial scandals have not occurred. They have occurred and the Government have taken quick action on them. In fact, we are not fully qualified to speak on them until we see the results of the full and independent inquiry. I [1044] emphasise they are financial scandals. The insinuation has been that the Ministers are involved in them. The Opposition are doing this for their own political gain but it is a reflection on all politicians.
In regard to Greencore, a full investigation is being carried out and the Revenue Commissioners are involved. It is expected that the Minister will be blamed in this situation but no mention has been made by Fine Gael of the chairman of that group whom they appointed - not that I believe the chairman is guilty either but he was sitting in at meetings. There was no mention by the Labour Party of the worker directors who were involved in the union and who agreed after the people were suspended to pay a 350,000 bonus and to leave the Mercedes as well which is one-third of that amount again. There was no mention of that either by the Labour Party or Fine Gael. As for The Workers' Party, they are beneath contempt in this House. I will refer to them in a moment. Conveniently, no mention has been made of any of these matters by the Opposition. The efforts of the Opposition to pin a Minister when the people concerned are three or four tiers away from him does damage not alone to themselves and this House but is a grave disservice to the country.
The public image abroad is fairly poor. With high unemployment and people trying to survive in business no mention has been made of what efforts should be made by all of us together to try to solve the unemployment problem. People have just got up and thrown dirt at each other across the House. I received a letter from, I presume, a well-meaning person three days ago telling me that a certain Fine Gael politician had bought a premises and that that premises was taken up by the VHI within weeks on a 35-year lease. I will not mention the name of the person in this House. That letter was torn up and thrown in the waste paper basket. If someone has a complaint to make or wants something looked at, let him be honourable about it and put his name to it.
What really annoys me is people, for their own political gain and in an effort [1045] to gain power, saying: "Throw every piece of dirt you can because these things are true". It is not that they are true but they want them to be true. The same can be said about the press who have printed allegations. I hope that the Irish Press have some funds left for the libel suits which will follow in some cases. If I have any influence with Ministers I will urge them to sue because they will have the support of the courts in that regard.
Unfortunately unsubstantiated and unproven allegations stick. During my 21 years as a Member of this House I have only once, in 1972, used the privilege of this House to name a builder who acted fraudulently under the company name Trad-Built. The owner of this company was later exposed and has been sought by the fraud squad ever since. I used that privilege having consulted with a Minister at the time, Mr. James Tully, so that the press people could name him afterwards.
Today the privilege of the House is being used far too much to the detriment of people outside against whom unproven allegations are made. I would ask you, a Cheann Comhairle, as Chairman of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, to look at the European system where this privilege may be withdrawn when wrongful accusations are made. Unless people have hard facts which they can prove they should not be allowed, at the expense of a person's life or their family's life, to come in here and make unfounded and untrue allegations. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges should examine this whole area because this privilege has been abused during the past few days, particularly by Deputy Spring who read into his speech what somebody else had written in an article which would not be published. It is frightening to think that he would take somebody else's word for something. He did not research the matter but read what somebody else had written into the record of the House. That is a serious abuse of privilege.
Efforts will have to be made in the coming weeks and months to solve our serious unemployment problem. I want [1046] to put it on the record that if anyone is guilty of financial misdemeanours, all of us on all sides of the House want to see them punished. This debate should not be regarded by The Workers' Party and the Labour Party as a licence to present a picture to the public that everyone in private industry or business is a chancer, a con man and that they do not contribute to society. I am afraid that what has been said here will frighten people with business acumen and people who invest money in an effort to make this country work better. Just because a few are guilty there is no need to write off the entire business community. Unfortunately the perception people have been given is that everyone involved in business today is dishonest. This information is released regularly by The Workers' Party who mention figures when people do not pay their tax. It is frightening to think that this is the purpose for which that party were set up and financed by people outside the State. The absolutely undemocratic form of socialism which they promote and support has been destroyed throughout Europe but they have tried neatly to change that about. Many people in Fine Gael see the danger in the witch-hunt that is being undertaken and the real dangers facing the business community. They are like a pack of hounds - once they see blood they all want to rush to be involved. Unfortunately this will have destructive consequences.
I am glad to see Deputy Byrne taking his place so that he can hear my next statement. I despise The Workers' Party and everything they stand for. I hold them beneath my contempt. They have denied any connection with the Official IRA or violence. They have on their staff at the moment in this House a man who is guilty of knee-capping and attempted murder.

Do not deny, Deputy Byrne, that you were part of it then and that you are part of it now. You know what you have been guilty of. It is good enough to have the fivers, the $100 notes, [1047] but on the staff of this House some one who has been guilty--

Before I said that, a Cheann Comhairle - I do not wish to cross you in any fashion - I referred to the abuse of privilege. I was conscious of that before I made the allegation. I know my facts and I am certain of them. In those circumstances I cannot withdraw what I have said. I have already clarified that the abuse of privilege in this House is a serious matter.

I accept your advice in that regard. Thank you for your intervention.
I hope that out of all of this a climate will be created where people who have made money the hard way and worked hard will be regarded and where profit will not be regarded as a sin or a dirty word. We should remember that if there are no profits there are no workers or business acumen. The alternative to the present system which people want to destroy really worries me. I accept that [1048] some members of the business community have been wrong but equally some members in other sections of our community have been wrong. We need to assure business people, people with acumen and with patriotism that we are not trying to get at them but rather are trying to ensure that they are given a lead in bringing about our economic recovery which I believe is only a short time away. I wish to share my time with Deputy John Browne.


