Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Let us put that in context because we do not want to have another session here next week and bring back Páraic Duffy again. I recall his comments on the television, made in the context of the Mulvey proposals. They were made in an effort to try to mitigate the concerns. The opening statement was that it was too big an ask and therefore something more had to be done. Mr. Keegan referred to the discussions with Mr. Aiken and referred to it being a big ask, but the big ask was somewhat clouded or cotton-wooled in the follow-on statement which indicated that additionality would play a role, in other words, the parties had to do more than they might normally do. In my view this gave an expectation that the matter could be resolved and five licences could issue. That is why we are in the mess we are in. Mr. Keegan has made his comments on my point but again the over-intensification and precedent, the two main issues, should have been identified at the outset and, if they had, we might not be where we are.