Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I will conclude on this point. The Government is now trying to misuse the courts at taxpayers' expense and make what could only be described in legal terms as a frivolous, vexatious and unnecessary application to the Supreme Court. The issue in dispute in these proceedings was should there or should there not be a by-election in the Tánaiste's constituency in Donegal. The High Court held that there should be. The Government has acceded to that and the by-election will now take place. There is no legal issue now in dispute between the Government of Ireland and the plaintiff in these proceedings. There is no justifiable, credible basis for an appeal to the Supreme Court. To travel that route is to waste taxpayers' money. It is designed to waste taxpayers' money in circumstances in which this Government is seeking an out to evade its solemn constitutional obligations-----

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