John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is regrettable that already three Deputies have been attacked essentially because people on the Government side of the House did not like what they said. I refer to Deputies Cullinane, Ross and Pearse Doherty. The fact remains that the people voted for these Deputies because of what they said on the doorsteps and the manifestoes they put to the people. Have we not learned that this is how people have voted?

Irrespective of what those in the press or the two major parties might think, the people have made a decision. They have said they want members of the Socialist Party, members of the Green Party, members of Sinn Féin, members of Fine Gael, members of the Labour Party, members of the Independent Alliance, members of the Social Democrats and non-party people. They have dealt this deck of cards to this House. I forgot Fianna Fáil - my apologies.

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