Ms Justice Alison Lindsay has been subjected to "increasingly vindictive and thoughtless attacks" following the publication of her report into the infection of hundreds of haemophilia patients by the Blood Transfusion Service, the Attorney General, Mr McDowell has declared. Strongly defending Ms Justice Lindsay, whose report was published in September, Mr McDowell said it was "a model of clarity, concision and fairness".
"It is entirely faithful to the terms of reference which this House set for the tribunal. It is a sad day when politicians turn themselves into a lynch mob to turn on the judiciary to whom they entrust serious inquiries.
"I completely reject the series of increasingly vindictive and thoughtless attacks on an honourable member of the judiciary who presented to this House a careful, well balanced and proper report on a subject," he said.
Replying to Independent Cavan/Monaghan TD, Mr Paudge Connolly, Mr McDowell said: "I entirely reject and distance myself from that type of mealy mouthed lynch mob oratory to the effect that somehow she had let this House down.
"She most certainly did not and I will stand up for the rights of a judge who cannot defend herself in this House against ignorant criticism of the kind to which she has had to submit.
The Lindsay tribunal sat for 196 days and took oral evidence from 146 witnesses.
