Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As I said earlier, this is the proposal brought forward and approved by Government. I was simply making the point in my previous contribution - which was neither patronising nor condescending but simply a statement of fact - that we are open to listening to the points made in this debate because of the importance of the legislation for the country. I also made the point in my previous contribution that there may be others who wish to put a different proposition, and that the House will divide and decide on that. I was simply referring to the fact that rather than some of the juvenile behaviour we have had at the beginning of this session, we must get down to the serious business of doing this work because it is what the country requires at this time.

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