Alex White (Labour)

This is a question. Does the Leader agree it is unacceptable for the Opposition to be treated to a lecture from the Deputy Leader as to what are its duties? He did so in circumstances in which 18 months ago, his party, in the form of Deputy Gogarty, was able to tell the people:

Fianna Fáil have fooled us before on education and they won't get away with it again. They have broken promises, they have under-invested, and have failed to grasp the opportunity presented by our booming economy.

As I understand Deputy Gogarty will be leading for the Green Party in the debate in the Dáil today, he is not that much of a maverick. He stated:

My message to voters is this: If education is important to you, then it is essential that you vote Green Party candidates Number 1 to ensure a real input into any future educational investment.

That is the basis on which his party got its mandate. That is the mandate on which its Members are in these Houses. That mandate is completely spent because they are doing the polar opposite to what they told the people, whether it was in Dublin South, in which 14 teachers are to be lost——