Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

This is so incredibly off the wall that I can only assume the Taoiseach had not studied the Bill because it bears no resemblance in any reality to what is contained in it. Then, not content with trying to devise preposterous situations for the House to consider, the Government pulled a predictable stroke by making an amendment to the Fine Gael motion in Private Members' time that would delay the Bill indefinitely. The Government does not even have the political conviction to oppose the Bill. It will not stand by its principles, not even when it clearly agrees with the proposal and when it has drafted a Bill that has the same thrust as the Fine Gael Bill.

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