Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

That is not the issue. The issue is that if the Taoiseach sent out Deputy Woods to do this secret deal because the church did not have the resources, why does the same principle not apply in this case? In reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy O'Sullivan, who raised the issue after the Taoiseach made his remarks about the measured response, the nice Minister for Education and Science replied as follows. This was in the case of the mother of two facing the costs of €500,000 and the loss of her home. The bossy Minister for Education and Science said:

The State has a responsibility to the taxpayer to fight cases where it knows it has a strong defence. In that context, it is also natural to seek an order for costs when it successfully defends a case.

That was the formal considered response written for her by her departmental officials and parroted faithfully here by the nice Minister for Education and Science after the Taoiseach's measured words.

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