A Sligo-Leitrim TD has rejected any attempts to censor comments he made this week at an Oireachtas Committee.
Robert Watt and Dr Tony Holohan appeared before the Health Committee this week to explain the circumstances around the planned secondment of the CMO to a professorship at Trinity College.
During the session, Deputy Marc Mac Sharry questioned the senior civil servant on his role in the process and under parliamentary privilege used the word "corruption" when discussing the now failed plan.
Committee chairman Sean Crowe later claimed that he would seek to strike the comments from the record after concerns were raised by other members of the committee.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show, the Independent Fianna Fail TD says he stands over his comments:
"I did my job to the best standards I can and the reaction has been pretty good. It is not within the capacity of the authority of the chair or anybody alive to strike anything from the record. I think he was watching too many American courtroom dramas.
The record is the record and it will remain that. Thankfully, while at times it would appear we are living in a totalitarian regime, I am glad and relieved to say that we have still freedom of speech in this country."
