Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge the presence of Deputy O'Dowd. I hope he does not mind me cracking the same joke again but I said on a previous occasion that the perception is that he and I are under a little pressure from Fine Gael candidates. I am pleased he is coping as well as I appear to be. I wish Deputy O'Dowd well in that regard.

This is important business and I am pleased we have an opportunity to discuss it this close to the general election. Members may have noted that in the past I often referred to how long it was to the general election. First it was so many thousand days, then hundreds and recently the numbers have become much lower. I am not sure whether the election will be in 22 days, 29 days, 35 days or otherwise. I have no idea.

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