Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Deputy Kieran O'Donnell.

I would like to take up the remark made about my party by Deputy Ó Caoláin when he suggested some issue of consistency between our statements of yesterday and today. The suggestion made by Deputy Kenny, the leader of my party, to the Taoiseach today to bring the budget date forward to next week was an utterly reasonable one. It was made in the context of trying to bring some certainty to this enormous difficulty the country faces. The tiny little brickbats Deputy Ó Caoláin threw in our direction have no validity. I find it astonishing that Sinn Féin can continue with this kind of pantomime in this House while having absolutely no difficulty involving itself in savage adjustments in Northern Ireland where it is in government. Its Minister heads the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. No new schools will be built in Northern Ireland next year because of a decision by its Minister. Consistency is something about which Deputy Ó Caoláin should not lecture anyone.

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