Lawlor formally asked to resign Dáil seat

Dublin West TD, Liam Lawlor, has been formally asked to resign from his Dáil seat by fellow deputies. The all-party resolution calling on him to resign was accepted without a division, following a debate in which Mr Lawlor defended his conduct to the Flood Tribunal.

He had been allowed out of Mountjoy to take part in the debate, but has now returned to prison. Speaking from hand-written notes during the debate, Mr Lawlor said that when he began giving evidence to the Tribunal, he did not understand the process of discovery. He said that if there was non-compliance on his part, it was neither intentional, nor malicious.

All the party leaders called for his resignation. Opening the debate, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said that Mr Lawlor had let the world of politics down repeatedly.

The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, said that the Dáil should use its moral influence to encourage members to co-operate with the Flood Tribunal, while Fine Gael's Michael Noonan said that Mr Lawlor had played ducks and drakes with the enquiry.

Mr Noonan said, however, that the Taoiseach had questions to answer as well. Mr Noonan said that last June Justice Flood requested extra judges for the Tribunal, but these had not yet been appointed. He said that as the leader of the House, the Taoiseach must be seriously embarrassed by this affair. Labour's Ruairí Quinn told the Dáil Mr Lawlor was undermining the very foundations of our democracy.

Deputy Lawlor told the Dáil that when he began giving evidence to the Flood Tribunal he did not understand the process of discovery. In a lighter moment, Deputy Lawlor said that he had told friends he thought "discovery" was a television channel, although he had now found it has a wider meaning.

The Attorney General has rejected criticism of his role in the controversy over Liam Lawlor's attendance at today's debate. In a statement, Michael McDowell rejected what he called the waspish and misconceived suggestion by Fine Gael leader, Michael Noonan, that he had given the Government wrong advice.

He insisted that the decision by the President of the High Court to temporarily release Mr Lawlor, at his own request, was within the discretion of the High Court and was not a matter for the Government or the Minister for Justice.