Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy O'Reilly has raised this issue before. We would be anxious to defend the ERO and I agree with her on the importance of that and of EROs more generally.

In response to Deputy McAuliffe in respect of those SCPs, that has been raised on the margins of the recent talks on Building Momentum and the replacement. We have to work to try to give a sustainable employment and career pathway for those involved in school completion, which is often the most important work in our education system, to enable young people to complete their education.

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, last week during the Order of Business, in an exchange with Deputy Paul Kehoe, a very brief exchange, as to whether I shared his concern about some journalism in that week's Sunday Independent regarding an interview recorded with former Minister, Shane Ross, about his book on Deputy Mary Lou McDonald being dropped, in agreeing with Deputy Kehoe, I speculated that the reason the interview was dropped may have been a fear of being sued. I also said, “apparently a political party got access to the interview”, but that I stood to be corrected. A closer reading of the interview showed that it was actually extracts of the book that were to be offered to Sinn Féin rather than the interview. I am happy to clarify that and to correct the record.

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