Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I refer to the timescale and the fact that the preferred bidder is Mr. Bernard McNamara. Regarding the recent controversy in respect of Dublin City Council and five housing projects, we sought an assurance from the Minister that he had examined the reasons Mr. McNamara's company withdrew from the housing projects in the city and that the Minister is satisfied that Mr. McNamara has the capacity to deliver on this project. The reason advanced for pushing through this motion and Bill before the summer recess was that the Minister wanted to get on with construction. When will construction work start?

I take the opportunity of addressing the section to refer to the Minister's remarks made about the fact that I quoted an assistant secretary in his Department delivering a paper at a criminology conference yesterday. I have endeavoured to give the Minister advice, which he is free to reject, not to be so prickly in his dealings with the Opposition. The proposition that a paper delivered to an open conference by an assistant secretary of the Minister's Department cannot be adduced in this House to support a point is absurd.

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