Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

We will leave it at that. Although it was suggested that the Minister was blocking an improvement, the truth is that he wanted to advance it beyond what has been suggested. That is the first point. Given that the Minister's position was not being reflected in full, it is only fair to speak in his defence. The second point relates to the question of ministerial expenses. As I have said, mechanisms like the Freedom of Information Acts are being used to provide information. I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to bolster public confidence in that respect. It has been mentioned that when certain figures are provided, it is important to explain the context in which officeholders incur their expenses.

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