Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

Previous Governments, in which Opposition parties were members, might have been good for all-night Cabinet meetings. However, it is not all about debate; it is about delivery and making decisions and seeing them happen on the ground. Having a great debate is not an end in itself, rather a means to an end. It is all right if one makes a decision, but it is easy to come in here and criticise.

Senator Bannon referred to Abbeyshrule airport, and I wish him well. When we discussed Knock Airport not so long ago, Fine Gael and the Labour Party did everything possible to stop the proposal before it got out of the starting blocks, and some very derogatory remarks were made.