Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is appropriate to make it absolutely clear that there was no suggestion that anybody outside of the Government made a decision on the choice of the competent authority. That is our responsibility, and we are standing over Fingal County Council. On other amendments I said we could not interfere with the EU directive. It is not part of the directive to direct us who to choose. We chose Fingal County Council and we stand behind it. For Deputies Clare Daly and Catherine Murphy to say that I was suggesting that it was dictated by Europe is wrong. It was not. We chose Fingal County Council and we are happy with that.

The conflict of interest issue has probably been played out at this stage.

This has been a good, high level debate. After such a debate with people making sincere comments, it is difficult to listen to people intervening in ways that are totally irrelevant and speaking about things that have nothing to do with this debate. It debases the value of what is happening. Deputy Mattie McGrath is not here, unfortunately. He might be a great judge of public opinion but it was notable that in the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment he led from an extraordinary situation where he could not even deliver his own village. Newcastle voted for repeal.

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