Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Those of us privileged to be Ministers will continue our work as a Government. This month will see the beginning of an Estimates process, the setting out of a budgetary strategy to be agreed by Government and preparations of budgets for the following year. It is not a question of work ending after today; work will continue in the context of the continuing progress we are making. It is important that the committee system is seen during July and September to provide the level of accountability that has been ascribed to it.

I ask that the motion put down by the Government be accepted. Deputy Sargent referred to the esteem in which the Parliament should be held. The Parliament will always be held in esteem when it conducts its business properly and appropriately instead of trying to grab cheap headlines, like Deputy Sargent did last week, when he was abusing privilege in this House. He might reflect on that during the summer.

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