Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

We cannot mutually respect one another if we are not allowed to assess the report. We will then see what is the situation. The Deputy cannot stand up in the House and without notice say the Government is now committed to a wider application of the report. We must first deal with the situation in front of us. The Irish Human Rights Commission took some months to deal with it. A particular group with a view brought this to the commission's attention. The commission did not decide to do a report itself under the human rights Acts.

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