David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am not interested in picking any fight. I am pointing out the reality of what the Taoiseach said and of what Fianna Fáil said about our Bill, namely, that we were playing political games. If the Minister does not believe that, and if he believes, like me, that is disingenuous, he should say that and say that what we are doing here tonight is in the best interests of citizens. It is Sinn Féin using our Private Members' time to do what is our job, which is to hold the Government to account and, more than that, to come forward with solutions. We did not bring forward a motion; we brought forward a practical Bill that can help people. However, the Government, whatever about the Minister personally, chose to look at the negative rather than the positive. When it comes to my party, what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to do is to continuously create this narrative that we are not serious, that we are negative and that we are opposing for opposition's sake when, in fact, what is happening is that the Government is opposing what we are bringing forward simply for opposition's sake.

That is what is happening. I hope it will not be the pattern of this new politics. I say sincerely to the Minister that I want to work constructively with the Government. However, when we bring forward proposals, the Government has to give them the same merit it is asking us to give its proposals when it brings them forward.

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