Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Do I understand the Taoiseach will not require the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, to come into the House and make a statement explaining his case or will the Taoiseach deal with it directly in the discussions today? Can the Taoiseach tell the House that no other benefits have been conferred on the Minister of State at any stage during his political career by any other private interests? In terms of his ability to discharge his functions, given the list of accidents which have confronted him since he became Minister of State, is the Taoiseach saying there is even the most tenuous prospect that he will be retained in office? While the Taoiseach is anxious to tell the House about his high standards in the matter he does not have a particularly strong record when it comes to dealing with Ministers who have been guilty of wasting taxpayers' money at a profligate level that we have never seen before. In his first couple of months in office the Taoiseach is on record as accusing this side of the House of hounding a decent man out of office. The Taoiseach should not look across here with doe eyes and assert that he has always observed the highest standards in the matter of disciplining his colleagues.

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