Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is to be commended on the tremendous achievement of bringing the Children and Family Relationships Bill to the House. I compliment her and also her departmental staff, Conan McKenna, Carol Baxter and Dara Breathnach, on their tremendous work and the courtesy they have extended to many Members of the House when seeking information on the Bill. I pay tribute to the former Minister, Deputy Shatter, on his role and work in the preparation of this legislation.

I do not want to strike a discordant or adversarial note at the beginning of my speech, but I must contend that, although the party of Deputy Troy and other speakers opposite was in government for 12 years, I do not know what it did.

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