Brendan Ryan (Labour)

He chose on principle not to, which is something those on the Government side of the House would not understand. I will watch Fianna Fáil's principles over the community employment scheme. I have never underestimated that party. It will run away from its principles. The issue of proportionality arises here. In normal circumstances somebody like this, a first-time offender in prison for the first time, would end up in the training unit in Glengarriff Parade here in Dublin living in comparative ease, where Deputy Joe Higgins spent his four weeks. Is this man being treated differently because his offence concerned the war in Iraq?

On a lighter note, I often wondered why the Progressive Democrats did not ask me to join its party when I arrived in Cork. I now know this is because it will not accept foreigners.