Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I accept what the Taoiseach has said. It is true that many Deputies have considerable sympathy, from a personal point of view, for the difficult position in which Deputy Callely has found himself today. Given that the Dáil will not meet again before next Tuesday, it is likely that the speculation about the reasons for Deputy Callely's resignation as Minister of State will gather momentum over the weekend. The Taoiseach might then regret that it was not possible to allow this matter to be debated in the House today and finalised to the point of satisfying whatever need there is to know the circumstances behind the resignation.

I ask the Taoiseach to facilitate a brief suspension of the Dáil so that arrangements can be put in place to give him an opportunity to make a brief statement. I suspect that the Taoiseach knows as much about Deputy Callely's resignation as the Deputy himself. The former Minister of State should also be allowed to say what has to be said in a formalised way.

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