Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am surprised at Deputy Healy as he comes from a rural constituency. I hope he will encourage everyone in south Tipperary with a well to avail of the €100 grant.

8 o’clock

He is already printing the leaflets. This is a clumsy attempt by the Opposition to try to gain some sort of kudos with the public in regard to one element they may have had a genuine concern about. I accept that. The Minister has gone further than any previous Minister in regard to any public service, utility, semi-State company or anything provided by the State by way of a service. When Deputy Naughten was in the House, he acknowledged that and was the only Opposition Member to do so. The Technical Group, Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil want to have the apartheid of urban and rural continue. People, because of their address, will be treated differently, and that is bad.

A previous speaker referred to things blowing up in our faces. The Constitution is an important document of the State which has served us very well since 1937, by and large, and should be treated as such. The clumsy proposals, by way of amendments, would do a lot of damage to the Constitution because they would set a precedent. Where would that end? What would Deputy Donnelly want to see next in the Constitution? Would he like to see the ESB in it? I know Fianna Fáil opposed the foundation of the ESB.

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