Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am trying to discuss the planning, a Cheann Comhairle, but it was very hard to listen to that diatribe for the last five minutes. It distracts one completely from what one wishes to say.

One need go no further than Dungarvan to see who was involved in the planning scandal. It is down the road from the Minister. He need go no further than the Moriarty tribunal report to see what happened. He has a brass neck to allege all these things about other parties. I know that people in the Fianna Fáil Party and in other parties and other individuals were involved in unsavoury practices, but the Minister did not go very far and did not look in the mirror to find out where they were and what they were doing. He promised much reform before the last election, as did the Labour Party, but all we got was a change of personnel in this Chamber. They just swapped seats and went off to see Angela et al and bowed down and listened to them before obeying and asking how high to jump.

The former Minister, former Deputy Gormley, had initiated investigations.

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