Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

Much of the business of this House is politics as usual. However, it is not politics or business as usual for the vast majority of people who are enduring this economic recession and who are in crisis in terms of losing their jobs. We are here this evening discussing a Fine Gael motion which as Deputy Michael McGrath said, seeks to bring forward the budgetary process, one of the most important matters with which we deal on an annual basis. The Opposition parties want to cram it in order that an election will be called sooner. The Green Party caught them a little off guard and moved on the calling of an election.

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