The benefit of the commission of investigation approach is that it provides tribunal-like powers without tribunal-like costs and tribunal-like timespans, which is what the public and everyone in this House is interested in

Taoiseach Brian Cowen on the banking inquiry

This proposal looks like a whitewash, a secretive concoction put together by government

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny

We have been very slow off the mark. Our banking crisis started a fortnight after the US banking crisis. The US is nearly through its crisis, while we are wondering about the establishment of an inquiry

Fine Gael's Michael Noonan

It's probable her life may have been saved if she'd received prompt medical treatment

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis at the Eamonn Lillis murder trial

It had been the world's worst Christmas for me

The 17-year-old daughter of Celine Cawley and Eamonn Lillis, giving evidence at her father's murder trial

It was more so that to find myself in such a nightmare I couldn't understand that I'd made such a bad character judgment. How could I get it so wrong?

Beauty therapist Jean Treacy, who had an affair with Eamonn Lillis

Mr Dempsey should tell the air traffic controllers to go back to bloody work or sack them

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary vents his anger over the air traffic controllers' strike

We're talking to a criminal. You picked a good one here Matt, the likes of Gerald Kean – to come on and talk about privacy, decency and proper behaviour. This man is serving a term and he's banned from the road and he's talking about decency

Ger Colleran, editor of the Irish Daily Star, draws attention to solicitor Gerald Kean's drink-driving conviction during an angry exchange on Matt Cooper's Today FM show

It was like waking up every morning and being raped

Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism Martin Cullen speaking for the first time about his treatment by the media after he was wrongly accused of having an affair

It was blatant creeping what Gary did when he said I was not worth the money. He said it just to look good to the manager…why the hell is this idiot talking about me if I never had any problem with him?

Manchester City player Carlos Tevez (right) heats up his dramatic falling out with his former Manchester United team mate Gary Neville following last week's clash between the sides