Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I remind the Taoiseach that these criticisms come not from the Opposition but from his own side of the House. As far as I and the Labour Party are concerned the Tánaiste has our support in the work she is doing today. We want her mission abroad to succeed. These are comments that have come from a Minister of State appointed originally by the Taoiseach's predecessor and reappointed by the Taoiseach. He was the Tánaiste's deputy in that Department for the course of the past year since the Taoiseach appointed Deputy Coughlan as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Whatever divisions, uisce-fé-thalamh and machinations are going on behind the Taoiseach's back are a matter for him and his party. The concern they are to the rest of us and to the wider public is that the Taoiseach and his leadership team are spending their time now and for the next number of months looking over their shoulders and behind them, looking for little conspiracies and for people stabbing them in the back, for more Ministers and more backbenchers making this type of comment. Some of these comments are about the Taoiseach. For example, "paralysis" was the term used in respect of him and his leadership of the Government. As long as that continues, the Taoiseach and his team will not be focused on the problems the people of the country want them to address. That is the problem.

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