Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The question the Deputy asked succinctly was "Why". The reason was that the Government had not met. We had to meet regarding this matter, yet the question was taken despite the fact that the Government indicated that morning that it had to meet to consider the judgment. The Chief Whip was in the best position to explain the position, having been the person who was responsible for dealing with the moving of writs, which was the basis upon which the question was being asked. The insistence by Deputies on tabling a question before the Government had an opportunity to meet in order to find out what its view was on a High Court judgment, which was given that morning and which it had not yet had an opportunity to read or consider, has its own illogicality.

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