Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

While Members do not have time at present to deal with the novel proposition that the purpose of Fianna Fáil coming into existence was to address our class-ridden society, they may return to it at another time. What does the Minister purport to have told Members in his reply, having read out various expenditure headings? Which of them does he suggest is improper? Is it not the task of the Equality Authority to deal with issues such as racism? If excessive rental costs for the headquarters have been incurred, who approved them? Why did someone in the Minister's Government not do something about it over the past 11 years?

Can the Minister assure the House that the forcing out of Mr. Niall Crowley has nothing to do with the Equality Authority's referral to the Garda Síochána of an allegation that the Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, while head of the Prison Service, had breached the Employment Equality Acts? If the Minister is so interested in saving money, is it not the case that the board members of this organisation used to serve free gratis for years until the appointment of the new board by the Minister, the members of which now are paid a fee of €10,000 each? Can the Minister answer these questions?

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