Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is aware, a resolution on the question of Palestine's nationhood is being debated at the United Nations General Assembly. When the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was appointed, he said he would lead the charge in recognising Palestine's full statehood. When the late Brian Lenihan was Minister for Foreign Affairs, he supported the request of the Palestinian people for statehood on behalf of the Irish people. It is disappointing that the United States has apparently decided to veto the Palestinian bid. It is even more disappointing that the Tánaiste appears to be supporting President Obama's stance on the issue. He is saying there should be re-engagement between Palestine and Israel. I ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, to outline clearly why the Tánaiste has changed his thinking.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is like the change in the thinking of the Deputy and his party leader.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What is the Government's position on this matter?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Government's position has been stated. It supports an independent, sovereign Palestinian state. That view was reiterated by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the United States as recently as yesterday. The Tánaiste is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Monday when he will set out a comprehensive statement on Ireland's position on this and other matters, including international peace and the Irish initiative on hunger. Negotiations are ongoing on foot of Palestine's application for recognition. As I said, Ireland supports the position that there should be a Palestinian state. We are working in concert with our European colleagues to try to find unanimity in achieving this objective.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Will we be voting in favour of recognising a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly? It seems it would be inconsistent, in the light of this country's history, if we were to fail to do so.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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When we were seeking international recognition of the Republic, certain people refused to recognise it. I remind the Minister of the strong words of his party's presidential candidate, my former constituency colleague, Mr. Michael D. Higgins, on this matter.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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At least the Labour Party has a candidate.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I do not doubt that Mr. Higgins would be able to advise his party colleagues on the need to take a strong and independent stance on the issue.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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He loves you, too.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I seek clarification on whether Ireland will vote in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution that the statehood of Palestine be recognised. A "Yes" or a "No" would be a helpful response.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I join the Deputy in supporting Michael D. Higgins who has-----

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thought the Labour Party had cut him adrift.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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-----a principled position on this and many other issues.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is unusual for the Labour Party.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Mr. Higgins has a long-standing tradition in the areas of human rights and international policy. He has informed my party's opinion on these matters for many years. It is from a related position that the Tánaiste, representing Ireland, is at the forefront in seeking to have agreement across all nations on the long-awaited international recognition of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine. It is too early to say what the outcome of that process will be. I understand from New York that there is an expectation that a position acceptable to all will emerge. I hope that will happen in the next day or two.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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It seems the Government does not have a position.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Last night Government Deputies voted down Sinn Féin's motion which defended the ESB as a key strategic company in public ownership. Not once but twice Labour Party Deputies in this House voted for the partial privatisation of this vital State asset. That is absolutely the case. How can the Labour Party reconcile its voting position and its stated intent in the coming months, given its clear pre-election promise, as set out in its manifesto in February this year? The manifesto stated:

Labour is committed to the concept of public enterprise, and is determined to ensure that semi-state companies play a full role in the recovery of the Irish economy. Labour is opposed to short-termist privatisation of key state assets, such as Coillte or the energy networks.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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The Sinn Féin Party is privatising in the North.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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There should be no doubt that by privatising the ESB, the Government is implementing the IMF-EU-ECB deal.

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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You voted for it.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Labour Party denounced that deal prior to and during the course of the general election campaign in February.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Labour)
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You voted for it.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I am sure the Minister is well able to answer this question himself. Perhaps he might ask the cacophony in the background to leave off.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is a new word.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Labour then pledged, let there be no mistake about it, to renegotiate the IMF-EU deal to refocus on growth-----

John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----and on job creation.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Another broken promise.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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How can the sale of the ESB be anything other than the short termism that Labour has already condemned? In the debate on Tuesday last, the Minister, Deputy Howlin, stated-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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A question, please.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----that he accepted the sale of State assets-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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A right-wing party.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----was not a traditional Labour policy and that "In normal times we would probably not be proposing the sale of State assets".

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Labour is a right-wing party.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Labour)
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The Deputy is speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Can the Minister, Deputy Howlin-----

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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The Irish Tories.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Ó Caoláin is out of time.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----explain the position that he put forward to the electorate in February?

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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The Irish Tories.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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He stated he could not support the Sinn Féin motion because we are not living in normal times.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Who is the Minister codding? What normal times applied in February when the Labour Party presented its manifesto commitment to the Irish electorate?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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What has changed over the six months since in which he has been in office?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I want to address full square the number of questions Deputy Ó Caoláin has posed. Let me start with the last one: what has changed in the past six months. Fundamental things have changed.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Labour's manifesto has changed.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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A new Government has been elected and we have moved away from the abyss that faced the two parties on entering Government.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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On the pledge we made, we have begun the renegotiation. I and other Ministers have stated repeatedly that the renegotiation of the bad deal that was struck by our predecessors in Government was not an event, but a process. We have engaged relentlessly since entering Government to renegotiate that deal, with, quite frankly, remarkable success.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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They were long burning bondholders.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In the first renegotiation-----

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Is it Frankfurt's way?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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They do not want to hear.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Stick to Palestine, lads; it is safer.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Minister, without interruption.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It suits some people for the country not to make progress but the Government is determined to make progress.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In the first renegotiation, we provided €500 million for a jobs initiative that is bearing fruit in the tourism sector.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We allowed an additional year, from 2014 to 2015, to reach our fiscal target of 3% debt to GDP ratio. We have begun the negotiations to ensure that any resources that might be leveraged from the sale of State assets can be used for productive purposes, which was implacably opposed by the troika in the beginning and signed off by the previous Administration that it could only be used to retire debt. In the second round of renegotiations, it was agreed with the troika that it would look on a case-by-case basis for reinvestment of any deleveraged funds from the sale of State assets to create the next generation of State jobs. To answer Deputy Ó Caoláin's second question about whether we are still in favour of using the State as a resource for job creation, the answer is "Yes". That is what we will do.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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By selling them off; by selling them out.

A Deputy:

Deputy Ó Caoláin sold out on the night of the guarantee.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is the economic policy of Deputy Ó Caoláin's party to bankrupt the country, to renege on the sovereign deal done-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Reds under the bed. The Minister used to be a red.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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-----and to imagine that of the €18 billion deficit this year made up of €15 billion on current expenditure and €3 billion related to bank recovery, the €15 billion that we need to pay gardaí, teachers, nurses and doctors throughout the country can be generated by magic out of some place. The people are not fools, however, and they understand the fantasy of that.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Regarding the ESB, we did make a reluctant decision in terms of privatisation because that was the commitment in the memorandum of understanding, which goes well beyond the quantum agreed in the programme for Government.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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They should have said it before the election.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We are seeking to have the agreement of the troika to use that for productive purposes so that it will be yet another vehicle available to us to bring the country from ruin where we found it to prosperity where we intend to leave it.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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All that has changed is the names of the parties in coalition and the faces in the ministerial offices. Nothing else has changed a whit since the general election and those in power prior to it.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is rhetoric.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has already admitted, has he not, that the IMF, the EU and the ECB want the proceeds of the sale of ESB to go into the black hole of the banking debt. He has already admitted, certainly, that the Government's alleged plan to use the proceeds to aid job creation cannot proceed without the approval of that troika.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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That is correct.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Not only is the Government selling off a chunk of the ESB, it is doing so without any guarantee that the process can be put to real and productive use in terms of job creation.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Could we have a supplementary question, please?

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Is it not time to admit that, once again, as has been the case historically, the Labour Party in coalition has become the limp tail of a rabid dog and that it is Fine Gael which is dictating the pace and going forward with its particular agenda-----

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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-----and the Labour Party, once again, are absolute failures in trying to put any break on Fine Gael's intent?

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Tory.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Labour Party admit that to the people or will it get the backbone to stand up and support the manifesto and the commitments it made six months ago to the electorate?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Ó Caoláin would be more familiar with the pedigree of the rabid dog.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Would Members give the Minister one minute to reply in quietness?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I continue to be impressed, as always, by Deputy Ó Caoláin's rhetoric, but it is completely empty.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The only thing empty were Labour's policies.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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One should not treat either this House or the people as fools.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister is the one who needs to look in the mirror when he makes that statement.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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They know, fundamentally.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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They do not want to hear.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please allow a reply.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The problem is that we have to pay an extraordinary debt, sovereign debt brought to this nation by the previous Government and voted in this House solemnly and supported by Deputy Ó Caoláin's party.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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No, not at all.

A Deputy:

The bank guarantee.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Brass neck Labour.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Sinn Féin voted on the night to guarantee the banks.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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No. We voted to protect ordinary citizens' savings, something that Labour was quite prepared to put at risk. Those are the facts.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Fine Gael supported it as well.

A Deputy:

They are in denial.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Can we have a bit of order, please?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Ó Caoláin does not want to hear the truth. He cannot bear the truth.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Would Deputy Ó Caoláin mind his blood pressure?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Ó Caoláin cannot bear the truth but the truth is inescapable. He voted for that debt. He placed that burden on our backs.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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So did the Minister's colleagues.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister is the one implementing it.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The current finance spokesperson in Deputy Ó Caoláin's voted for it in the other House and stated, in doing so, he was donning the green jersey.

We are faced with the reality. We are determined to hold strategic State assets in majority State ownership. We want to deleverage money that we cannot manufacture from thin air to create new jobs and bring hope to people.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Anglo Irish Bank.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We are not caught in blind ideology but we are determined, as I say, to bring economic prosperity-----

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Howlin has no ideology whatsoever. He has flushed it down the toilet. That is exactly what he has done.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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-----so that when we leave office we will be on an upward trajectory, not a doom trajectory.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Could I have a bit of order for Deputy Finian McGrath?

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I remind the Minister, Deputy Howlin, that his colleagues in Government also supported the bank guarantee.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Is Deputy Finian McGrath going to switch again?

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Who is Deputy Finian McGrath with this week?

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I am always with the people.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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What way is the wind?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Finian McGrath is eating into his valuable time.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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The people are sovereign. I will always respect the wishes of the people.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Senator Norris is on the phone. He wants to know will Deputy Finian McGrath switch back.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I want to raise a sad and serious case of the death, on 2 February 2002, of Shane Tuohey from Derrycooley, Clara, Tullamore, County Offally. Shane was a young turfcutter. He was 23 years old when he went missing after a night out, and was last seen at 4.20 a.m. The Garda investigation quickly concluded that foul play was not suspected and also the inquest found that he had drowned by immersion in cold water. The reason I raise this is that other evidence and major concerns have emerged about Shane Tuohey's death. The family have asked me to raise this case with the Minister. They have asked the Government, the Minister in particular, some questions and whether they will support a full investigation and inquiry of this case. Is the Minister familiar with this case and does he have any information on the background to the case? I call on the State and the Government to examine all the new evidence, especially the wealth of new evidence that has given rise to a suspicion of foul play. Shane Tuohey was verbally and physically abused by a group of men in the months before his death. Will the Minister or any new investigation find out if, as witnesses have said, the abuse continued on the night of the death and whether this is correct? Is the Minister also aware that the initial Garda report could have been more professional and that it failed to follow standard procedures in several respects? Why do they still hold on to the conclusion that Shane Tuohey's death was accidental or suicidal when there is now genuine evidence that Shane Tuohey was struck by someone or by a car door? Will the Government support a call by the family for a proper, full investigation which will include this new evidence?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am aware of the case. The family contacted me some years ago about this matter when I was justice spokesperson of my party. They also contacted the then leader of the Labour Party and we sent a letter jointly to the Garda ombudsman calling for an investigation and outlining some of the matters the Deputy has put. It is a worrying issue and on foot of the Deputy raising it I will ask my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, to review the papers.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I wish to put on the record of the House my deepest appreciation to the Minister for his response and I know the family will be happy about that, although it is a sad case. With regard to the investigation, in that little town there is a remarkably high number of sophisticated closed circuit television, CCTV, cameras dotted throughout the town. Will the investigation find out why these tapes disappeared and where they are now? Will any investigation examine the new evidence of Gregory Davis, an American forensic pathologist, who has stated the case should remain open with the manner of death undetermined and with a strong likelihood of suicide? The Minister, Deputy Howlin, has stated he will support the family's request. I appreciate that and I hope the family will be satisfied with it.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Clearly, I am in no position to judge any of the facts and I have no wish to pre-empt any of the issues the Deputy has brought to the attention of the House. On behalf of the Government I have committed to ask my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, to review the papers and determine the next appropriate step to take.