Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Another Deputy said she had an arrangement with the former Taoiseach which was good for everybody but he confirmed there was no such agreement. The Taoiseach said it would not cost anything to keep the service between the Independent Members and the Government alive which is fair enough because there is a person liaising on that basis. However, does it mean that if an issue arises in the constituency of an Independent Member, such as a factory closure, it receives particular attention, a particular response or special treatment through the Government liaison person as opposed to that received by the constituency of a Government backbencher or someone else? Is that the sort of relationship that exists? Is there any special treatment for these Members because they happen to be Independents? As the Taoiseach knows, he is not dependent on them and can make up the numbers with Fianna Fáil, the remnants of the Progressive Democrats and those Green Party men from the other side.

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