Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

-----so any further comment prior to its consideration is premature. We argued in court that Article 16.7 of the Constitution imposed no time limit for the holding of by-elections but left the matter to the Oireachtas, and that the Oireachtas had not imposed any time limit in the legislation, but the court took the view that there should be implied in the legislation a requirement that by-elections be held within a reasonable time. We will now consider the judgment and the Government will decide what to do.

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