Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The Green Party has been bought very cheaply. In the ten years following his election, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, stood on this side of the House and berated Fianna Fáil for low standards in high places. Unfortunately, he is not present tonight. Now, emasculated by the aura of office, he insults our intelligence and those who voted for him by attempting to justify his support for a dishonest amendment drawn up by a sleazy Government led by a Taoiseach who is not tax compliant and who has tested the patience of the people.

I take no satisfaction at all in saying this. I always thought the Green Party was a force for good. It evolved from a mixture of thinkers of different sorts in terms of alternative lifestyles into an efficient political party. Many people on all sides of the political spectrum believed the party would make a worthy addition to Government and then we witnessed the events of the past eight months; Green Party capitulation after capitulation, defeat after defeat, U-turn after U-turn. Green politics is now roll over and lie down politics.

I remind the Minister, Deputy Gormley, that the people who elected him in Dublin South-East are watching what is happening in this House. They do not take kindly to having him on the airwaves week after week attempting to explain that what he is saying now is exactly the same as what he said then, even though it sounds like the complete opposite. I remind the House also that the Minister, Deputy Gormley, is only in the Dáil because Deputy Creighton asked her supporters to transfer votes to him. I also remind him that his presence in Government is a reality because the Taoiseach reckoned the Green Party would be a convenient alibi for his troubles with the tribunal.

When I searched the Oireachtas website today for references to "John Gormley" and "Mahon tribunal" I found 36 references. One of the references I came across was his speech on the Green Party website when he spoke about "Planet Bertie". That is the place he now inhabits. He is the man who opens the door currently to "Planet Bertie". He is the man who stands with the sign saying, "Bertie, whatever you want, we will do it, just give us our little jobs in Cabinet". Despite being the Minister with responsibility for planning matters and being the leader of his party, Deputy Gormley seems to think he has no responsibility to hold the Taoiseach to account even when it appears the Taoiseach has not paid his taxes.

I want to make it crystal clear what the Green Party, as well as the Progressive Democrats and the Independents, are supporting today if they back Fianna Fáil. When asked by the tribunal that if he were to attend an Irish function similar to the famous Manchester dinner, an event which it now looks likely never even happened, and someone were to offer him an envelope with a large sum of money, whether he would accept it——

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