Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. I understand that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Cowen, is due to give a personal statement today on his drink-driving offence. It is not acceptable for us that he would be able to give a statement and there would not be opportunities for questions from the Opposition and answers from the Minister, as was the case and became the precedent on numerous occasions in the previous Dáil. There are, as the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Eamon Ryan, said on the radio this morning, numerous questions outstanding relating to the offence itself, the status of Deputy Cowen's driving licence and whether he was repeatedly in breach of the law in terms of learner driver plates, accompanying drivers and so on. The most important question, however, is that of precedent.

This is the first test of the Government and whether it will establish a precedent of using its majority to ensure there are no questions asked when Ministers are involved in controversy and that a statement will be the end of the matter.

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