Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

-----the High Court's was indeed the appropriate reply and, in the event, if there are questions to be addressed. The issue for us as elected politicians is to ensure, by consensus here, that we will not allow a situation to obtain in the future where the Government of the day can delay the exercise of the democratic right of any constituency to fill a vacancy, in order to suit its particular interests. As part of Dáil reform, will the Government bring forward proposed legislation to allow for a reasonable period of time, whether three or six months? There have been recommendations in relation to both periods from Oireachtas committees on the Constitution as far back as 1996 and again this year. Will the Minister of State raise this with the Taoiseach and his Cabinet colleagues in order that the matter can and will be addressed? We do not have to await the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal.

My last point is in the context of Dáil reform, namely, the recent announcement of a reduction in the minimum wage by €1 per hour. People are not really examining the impact of this.

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