Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Another two minutes will do. Board members are honoured and privileged to serve and share their expertise towards the protection and enhancement of our cultural institutions. They are not on the boards for any financial remuneration. Do not tell me that Professor Diarmaid Ferriter was on the board of the National Library for financial remuneration or that Paul McGuinness, the manager of U2, one of the greatest and most successful bands in the world, was on the board of the Arts Council for financial remuneration. I use these people only as examples - like so many others they are on the boards to give of their expertise to a field they know best.

I listened to Deputies on the other side of the House last night who criticised us for introducing this motion, claiming we were simply playing politics as normal, offering opposition for the sake of it. I remind those Deputies they were very happy to have our support in the recent referendum on the fiscal treaty and that was widely acknowledged.

See this speech in context