Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I believe he is a fraud particularly when he claims to be a liberal of the great enlightenment tradition. I would consider myself a liberal. A liberal believes the State should not be involved in the nitty-gritty of people's business. We should set a light hand to the legislative process to maintain freedom as the enlightenment tradition behoves us to do. We should recognise the respect it gives to citizens as free and equal in a republican democracy under the law.

If the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is a liberal, what is he doing? Deputy Costello can confirm that in his three years in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform he has dealt with approximately 35 Bills. A Chinese mandarin would be proud of the rate at which he is throwing out legislation. I note he speaks mandarin Irish.

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