Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I would make this point about perhaps not just the Committee of Public Accounts or other committees, but committees of the House. The effectiveness of committees in respect of acting within their remit, whatever it may be now or in the future, is greatly helped by the avoidance of political partisanship on those committees. If there were confidence among everyone in the House that when matters arise they are not simply used for the purpose of attacking Government, as has been the case in a whole range of issues-----

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