Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy will appreciate that the Government has a job to do in this respect. I do not anticipate any Government discussion as to how we wish to proceed regarding its recommendations before the report is presented. The group's function is to make recommendations, as has been agreed, and it is a matter for the Government to decide whether to accept recommendations. In the first instance, the report will be brought to the Minister for Finance and then to the Government. We will then decide how to proceed.

As regards the Private Members' motion before the House, I do not want to anticipate that debate. The Government has tabled an amendment to the motion and the debate will ensue in Private Member's time. We should see what emerges from that debate, rather than seeking to pre-empt it before it starts.

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