Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I agree with the Minister that this motion should have been considered by an Oireachtas committee where we could have teased it out in greater detail. I do not accept, however, the Minister placing the blame for that on the Green Party. Obviously, Deputy Cuffe can answer for his party in that respect, but I do not buy that the Minister did not bring his proposal to an Oireachtas committee because the Green Party objected to it. If that were the case, many proposals that are brought to the House or to committees would never appear. It is the first time I have ever heard that a Minister would not bring a proposal to a committee because an Opposition party of any size objected to it. I do not buy that argument.

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