Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I am disposed to praise the Minister of State yet again for his appointment of in excess of 40% of women to the board. However, I am reluctant to do so in case I get him sacked. I remind him of my earlier point that there are a few people in Cabinet who are, to say the least, wayward, if not bordering on the lunatic. Lunatics. Imagine the position if one of them came to the Chamber at this point. The Minister of State has the opportunity to cement in the legislation his disposition in terms of gender balance and some kind of equality representation on the board, going forward, by accepting one or other of these amendments. I am as well disposed to the first amendment dealing with this issue as I am to the second. The Minister of State should pay not attention to the note from whoever drafted it or from whatever section of Government it came. He should insert one of these amendments and that would be the job done for all time. We will not be worried about the Minister, Deputy McDowell, or any of the other head cases.

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