Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I will start where Deputy Ring left off. This was a bad week for the Government parties. The Billy the Kid, western style, cavalier approach taken by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform was seen by everybody for what it was — it had nothing good, bad or different behind it. The image of the Minister of State's senior colleague having to put on shin guards before coming out of a meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party yesterday speaks volumes for the cohesion of the Government.

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