Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I have evidence in an internal memo that we began consideration of it in November. On the day this became a major announcement, I was in Na Forbacha and a colleague issued a statement. TG4 contacted my office and my initial reaction was that I was very busy and did not have time to do an interview but I later changed my mind. I am often asked by TG4 to do interviews on many issues raised by different groups and I try to accommodate them. When I was asked about it, I explained, as I have to the Deputy, that I had been thinking about the issue and that it needs to be addressed. I spoke about the social isolation question. Then the obvious question was asked as to when I would make a decision or introduce proposals. I said that I could not give a time or date, but in an aside I said that obviously it would be before the general election. If I had said it would happen after the general election, some people would have said that I was being too smart by half — I would have been accused of doing it by not doing it. I would have thought that anything being done by a Minister now would need to have been moved forward before an election and that is what caused the great announcement. This matter has been ongoing for some time and I have the evidence to prove it.

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