Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Can I just respond? There was nobody from Fianna Fáil except the Minister present yesterday while the amendment was being discussed, although we were dealing with the Finance Bill, one of the most important Bills that the House passes every year. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle asked the position on amendment No. 3 no fewer than three times and stated slowly that it was being passed.

By not voting, the Government assented to the passage of the amendment, irrespective of the personal and governmental views the Minister may have expressed in the debate. It has happened, albeit not very often with the Department of Finance or Minister for Finance, that Ministers have assented to what the House has proposed.

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