Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The first question Deputy Ó Caoláin asked was why we did not, as part of our overall negotiation programme, negotiate with the Independents when we were agreeing our programme for Government. With all due respect, my answer to him is that we shall decide how to negotiate our programme for Government. The second point is that we decided to negotiate a programme for Government with the parties in Government. My predecessor then spoke to those Deputies who had indicated an interest in discussing with him the possibility of their providing support to the Government on the basis of certain arrangements or agreements between him and those Dáil Members. This is how that support was achieved——

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