Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

Deputy Mac Lochlainn might snigger and laugh at what this State has had to go through to protect its sovereignty and independence, but we will have a polling day soon and the people will have their say on many of those matters.

Nobody would like to be in the unenviable position in which the Government finds itself at the moment. It is not politically popular to be making decisions such as this one. This is about saving our country's independence and regaining our economic sovereignty. The challenge to the Opposition is to act responsibly and come up with an alternative.

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