Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

As the Taoiseach will know, the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill 2002 was initiated in 2002 but it has still not been enacted. I wish to make a suggestion regarding the North-South civic consultative forum provided for in the Good Friday Agreement. Would it be possible to deal with this issue by way of an amendment to the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill? There is no reason the National Economic and Social Development Office should not take on that responsibility as well. It would be a quick way to deal with something to which we all gave allegiance in the Good Friday Agreement.

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