Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We were not allowed to contribute to the debate and we were not allowed to show those opposite that some of the measures could not work. They are all culpable and they are all responsible.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, said last week after the budget that the Opposition is only scratching around for an issue and it has come up with Irish Water. I say to the Minister that the people of Roscommon are scratching around; the people of Dublin South-West are scratching around; and up to 100,000 people on Dublin streets last Saturday week were scratching around too. Now we hear that a few backbenchers are scratching around. How much scratching around does it take to get with the programme?

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