Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Notwithstanding that, is it the case that we casually disowned the pledge the Taoiseach made at the United Nations? Many people are asking questions on the validity of the latest pledge to 2012. What is the Taoiseach's attitude to the Labour Party's Bill that sought to ringfence our contribution to ODA so that in good times or bad we would adhere to this moral contribution to the world's poor?

Last year when the Taoiseach got into trouble after the local elections he sent for Fr. Seán Healy. Clearly clerical inflation has been such since then that this time he went to Rome to meet the new Pope. Did the Taoiseach receive any commitment from the Pope that he would visit here and if so is it likely to be before polling day? What is the church-State dialogue he announced? What does it comprise? Who is involved and what has happened since he made that historic announcement? What meetings have taken place? What is the subject matter of this dialogue? Is it the economy, war and peace or poverty? What is envisaged by this exchange?

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