Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Before Deputy Broughan leaves, I wish to make a brief response to his speech before commenting on the Taoiseach and the Ministers. I commend them and wish them well on taking their seals of office as officers of State. I have known Deputy Broughan for 20 years. We were on a council together and we were on a committee here together. I listened with interest to what he had to say. I say one thing, not in self-defence, but just to give a perspective of where I come from. To a certain extent I wish the others well because it is on behalf of the State. The left stands for the State and believes in the State. One hundred years on from the foundation of our State why do we continue to knock the State?

See this speech in context