Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I doubt that the Eight Amendment will now be repealed or even offered and put to the people during the course of this Government's term in office. The coalition of convenience has cynically kicked the issue to touch. The issue is when people will get a right to express their views on a needed change and a needed review of the Constitution. By contrast, if there is a problem that the new Government thinks can be solved by throwing money at it and hoping it goes away, it seems it is going to do that. Perhaps that is what the prolonged absences are about - some of that is still being thrashed out.

Virtually every Irish person is familiar with the concept of "one for everybody in the audience”. That is what the negotiations behind this new arrangement have amounted to. At a time when Ireland has not reached a point of safety, when the public purse remains constrained, when there are potential risks such as Brexit on the horizon, Independent Deputies have been granted all manner of narrow constituency and sectoral pet projects without any evidence of costing, when they will be implemented and the duration and impact of the measures. Everybody here works hard for their constituents, but every Deputy in this House is entitled to put the Irish people's interest first, and is required to do that.

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