What did Proinsias De Rossa say in evidence?

Mr. Proinsias De Rossa is a member of the Irish Labour Party and former President of the Workers’ Party and subsequently leader of Democratic Left. He served as Minister for Social Welfare from 1994 to 1997. Since 1999 he has been a member of the European Parliament in the Party of European Socialists (PES) group.

 

In his evidence to the Tribunal on Day 281 (25 March 2004), Mr Proinsias De Rossa told the Tribunal:

 

“… I understood the process to be an arm’s length process which was being carried out by a group of people who were not even within the — sort of the influence of the Minister; that it was arm’s length from the Minister as well as from the rest of the political system.”

 

He also told the Tribunal that he had no reason to doubt the integrity of the civil servants involved in the second mobile phone licence process.

 

“Q…Just — I know you were in Government for some time, perhaps not as long as you might have liked, but you had considerable experience of the civil service during your time in Government, and I presume you were happy that this competition was to be run by the civil service?

  

A. Oh absolutely, yes, yes.

 

 Q.    You trusted them and their integrity and their independence?

 

 A.    My primary experience of the civil service would have been obviously in my own Department.  I have nothing but the height of praise for them. 

 

Q.    Therefore you would be happy that this was appropriate, that this competition would be given to them as a sealed process and would remain a sealed process?

 

 A.    Yes.

 

Q.    And as far as you are concerned, that’s the way it was carried out?

  

A.    That’s — to my certain knowledge that I — I mean, the fact that I did not sort of go through all of the papers with a fine-tooth comb indicated that I had trust in the process.”