Dail record – In our opinion

Pat Rabbitte supplied a small but very important snippet of information that further confirms the low quality of Irish democracy. (Saturday View)

Apparently, he has been corresponding with Ceann Comhairles for years about the fact that Bertie Ahern’s English is not just polished up by civil servants who write up the Dail record but the actual meaning of his contributions is altered on occasions.

Rabbitte pointed out that he wasn’t making a political point; he just felt that such altering of the record was a pity for historians and archivists

Amazing, the record of our National Parliament is being substantially altered by those who should be recording what is actually said with what, in their opinion, the speaker meant to say and a senior opposition politician is only concerned that historians may be led astray.