Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is that his version of the democratic revolution for which people voted in such numbers in the last general election? I remember a grandiose statement from the programme for Government: "We believe that in recent years an over-powerful Executive has turned the Dáil into an observer of the political process rather than a central player and that this must be changed". How hollow that sounds? Is it any wonder there is such cynicism about politics and the political process when people measure that performance against the promise?

I have no doubt the Minister in his speech will refer to the hoary old chestnut the Taoiseach always drags up when he is asked about this - that Fianna Fáil signed some sort of a deal with the troika for some huge amount of money to be paid by the citizens.

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