David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a point of order. We wrote to the Minister a number of times and the matter was raised twice in private session that we would ask him to set out his position regarding pay and allowances for student nurses and midwives in his opening statement. The matter was not addressed in his opening statement. It would be very unfair if time for members was eaten into by the Minister setting out his position. Can I ask that without using up any of our time, he use a minute or two to set out his position? He was specifically asked by the clerk of the committee, and I checked this again before the meeting started, to set it out but it was not addressed in his opening statement. There was universal cross-party support for the Minister acting on this and on a Dáil motion that was unopposed that called on him to revert to the March agreement. Will the Minister address in his own time what he should have addressed in his opening statement and set out the position regarding pay and allowances for student nurses and midwives?