David Norris (Independent)

I welcome the Minister. I remember his RTE broadcast on budget day, during which one of the commentators said that in the present circumstances it did not look as if there was room for the traditional McCreevy surprise in the budget. The commentator got that one wrong because the Minister most certainly did provide a surprise, which was most interesting and intriguing.

I look on the motion as a waste of time in a sense, because it is a classic political exercise. We will not make any progress on this motion because it is black and white — one side will congratulate the Government while the other side condemns it. As an Independent Member, however, I do not particularly want to get into that.