Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I suppose it was not really all that crazy and it developed into a Ponzi scheme for certain individuals. These deals were done in this city, in a hotel not far from this House. I know what happened but I have not confirmed the details. Those details will come out very soon.

The Government has time to back off and reconsider the matter, particularly if its members respect their constituents. We are here to serve the people. We are Teachtaí Dála - messengers of the people. I appeal to some of those opposite to go missing for the vote later tonight in order that the debate on the Bill might collapse. They should take action in order to save some shred of honour and dignity and display a modicum of pride and responsibility. Those in government received the finest mandate ever from the electorate. However, they flushed that mandate down the drain long ago.

I ask the former Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to come clean. He has the information I referred to but by the time he puts it on the record, it will be too late. He knows that queer, wrong and immoral things happened. Information relating to this will all come out in the wash, if we have enough water for washing.

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