Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is not as shy as he lets on.

With regard to the comments of Deputies Ó Caoláin and Kenny, it is well known that agreements are in place with people who support the Government and the Government seeks to honour them in the context of available resources and priorities and programme for Government commitments. It is the same for political parties as Independent Deputies and, therefore, I do not see why party leaders should be so dismissive of individual Deputies who seek to have arrangements with the Government when they would make that a condition for membership of a government themselves.

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