Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Tánaiste had better grow accustomed to sitting in silence because after this debacle for the Progressive Democrats, the only question he will be permitted to ask in Cabinet is "An bhfuil cead agam dul amach?". The Tánaiste, Deputy McDowell, sought and got a mandate as moral watchdog on Fianna Fáil in government. He has comprehensively failed his first test and, as he stated, a party that stands for nothing will stand for anything.

We should forget about the orchestrated phone-ins, the unscientific opinion polls and the packed television audiences. The question is whether it was right or wrong for the Minister for Finance of the day to accept money for private use.

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