Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am not highlighting these issues to be partisan in terms of the nature of this debate as obviously that would not be helpful to anybody and will not get us out of the mess we are in. However, it shows that the Opposition parties accepted the same independent advice and forecasts that informed us as it was the best international and national advice at the time. The Government acted on that advice. I accept that mistakes were made but it is wrong for the Opposition to say nothing was gained and that people did not benefit from the expenditure made. I say that having spent almost four years as Minister for Education and Science.

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