Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am not. Deputies who support the Government are entitled to continue to pursue the priorities they have identified with the Government in good faith and the Government is obliged, in good faith, reciprocally, to progress those as best it can in the context of the overall framework we are trying to work to. That is simply a political arrangement, a political understanding that permeates all agreements, whether it be at local council level about positions during the tenure of office of a particular administration or indeed in the national Parliament. These are the normal arrangements that people obtain in order to support a Government. If the Deputy is in the position at any time in the future, where his party requires some support from Independents, he will undertake that legitimate exercise as well and it will be an exercise in accountability because at the end of the day, the people will make their minds up as to what they believe is the right thing to do in the future.

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