Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

He will have to win the All Ireland before he has even a chance.

What is wrong with Deputy Paul Gogarty? The Green Party remind me of Gay Byrne on "The Late Late Show" giving "one for everyone in the audience". They have all had a chance except Deputy Gogarty. He speaks very good language and would be capable of being a Minister. I am disappointed he has not been promoted and I merely want to make a case for him.

The other person I am sorry for is Deputy Mattie McGrath. He is the only person on the Government benches who speaks common sense. I thought he could be added to the Cabinet and would strengthen the Government but they would not appoint him.

I am delighted Deputy Pat Carey has joined the Cabinet. He is a decent man and I know he will do well. I hope things go well for him. I have always found him to he honourable and decent as Chief Whip and as a Minister of State. His appointment is a great honour and I wish him success in it. However, I hope he will not be there for too long. I also wish Deputy Tony Killeen well.

The Taoiseach had an opportunity to reshuffle the Cabinet and he did not do so. I am reminded of the Titanic. He merely moved the ship nearer to the water. It is about to sink. There was no reshuffle today. I hope the media have not been taken in and will tell us we had a reshuffle. We did not. All that happened was that two Ministers retired and were replaced by two backbenchers. The Taoiseach had plenty of talent on the backbenches but he did not take the opportunity presented to reshuffle the Cabinet. The country needs new leadership, a new Government and new thinking.

The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, spoke about the public service. The point at issue is not related to the provision of passports, about which everybody is talking. A woman, who is in receipt of social welfare benefit, told me this morning that she had spent €28 of her €30 phone credit trying to get through to the Longford office regarding her family income supplement benefit. She could not get through to that office.

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