David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would never do such a thing. The only people who seem to be excluded - I do not know whether it was accidental - are academics. I was an academic. I would not put academics in charge of the henhouse, to be quite honest. In my part of the north inner city of Dublin, I hear people saying, "Ah, Jaysus, he's only a bleedin' academic." It means absolutely unqualified, up in the clouds, theory all over the place and being unable to hammer a nail straight into a lump of wood. That is what I am afraid of. I will give the House a definition of an academic: an academic is someone who suits the description by the wonderful comic writer Tom Sharpe, who said nothing could be so guaranteed to derail an argument as prolonged attention to the inessentials. That is the academic for one in glorious technicolour - prolonged attention to the inessential. Those are the things that worry me.

I wonder what inducements were offered. Was it a few roads here and there in Donegal? Were there legislative concessions? I would like to know. Let us be honest and cut out the ballsology. I would like to know what the price was and what people got. There is a most peculiar concatenation of people on the other side whom I never thought would be inhabiting the same kennel so I would love to know what was the price. Was it worth it?