Dáil debates

Thursday, 20 January 2011

10:30 am

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We heard on the news last night that the Minister for Health and Children has resigned. We then heard that three other Ministers - the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Justice and Law Reform and the Minister for Transport - have resigned. There is speculation that another Minister is about to resign.

It has always been the case that when Ministers of the Government resign a statement is made to the Dáil by the Taoiseach informing the Dáil of the resignations of the Ministers or that he is informing the President to accept their resignations and indicating whatever arrangements are being made either for the appointment of new Ministers or the transfer of their functions.

We have a flu epidemic. We have people lying on trolleys in hospitals, and the Minister for Health and Children has taken to the hills. We have flights being cancelled in Aer Lingus, and the Minister for Transport has resigned. We have problems of crime in many parts of the country, and the two Ministers responsible for justice and defence are gone. We have had unprecedented commentary on this country by both President Sarkozy of France, and yesterday by the President of the European Commission, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs is gone.

We hear from interviews being given by one of the retiring Ministers that this was all being planned and talked about, even before Christmas, that there is an orchestrated resignation of Ministers going on. There is some kind of a political, cynical-----

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