Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

----- we can talk in this House about reckless politics. I am asking the Leader of the House to request the Taoiseach to come in here and answer for his stewardship of the Cabinet, regarding upholding Article 28 of the Constitution on collective Cabinet responsibility.

The Ministers sitting around the Cabinet table have had the opportunity to hear the advice of the Attorney General and have avoided making a decision today on whether they should have collective Cabinet responsibility. There is a collective responsibility on the Cabinet to make a decision on whether the Bill before the Dáil is constitutional and they are now avoiding that.

I fear this is a downgrading of what has pertained heretofore. The Cabinet has always upheld Article 28. I am not putting a motion. I am asking the Leader to ask the Taoiseach to come here and answer for the role the Cabinet is taking regarding upholding the Constitution. The issue is far too important to allow members of the Cabinet to cherry-pick the advice they take. It is not good enough to seek the advice of the Attorney General on payment of water charges and then opt out on another issue of such importance. That is not acceptable and I ask the Leader of the House-----