Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I did not intend to return to this subject but I have no real alternative, given the comments of the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Josepha Madigan. I made the point earlier that democracy is more important in the middle of a national emergency than it is in normal times. Deputy Boyd Barrett gave examples from the World Health Organization to back up that point. Is it the case that a couple of hours before the Minister told those of us who insisted on today's sitting that we should be ashamed of ourselves there was a briefing for the press in the Department of Finance, attended by that Minister, where journalists had to submit their questions for reply in advance, where the journalists who were present were not allowed to submit questions at that time and where material was handed out by Department of Finance officials-----

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