Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I express my sympathy to the Leader for the incredible pressure he is under in the House. Senator Conway seeks €1 billion a year, while Senator Leyden wants his savings back. How can the country survive such ceaseless demands on the Exchequer? I do not know where we will go with all that.

We had a debate yesterday on what was the latest Brexit development, but overnight, what is happening has become clearer. Unlike Senator Coghlan, I take the view it is becoming abundantly clear that Downing Street is aiming towards a no-deal exit, that the take it or leave it offer, which the British Prime Minister, Mr. Johnson, will apparently ventilate at his Manchester rally today, is intended to be rejected, that he intends to go to the British people making the untrue point that Europe is being unreasonable and he is being reasonable, and that he intends to leave the EU one way or another by 31 October.