Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to the people in the Gallery for their being so badly served by such a weak and verbally inadequate Minister, who has no principles and whose only mission in life is to give the loudest and most influential lobbyists whatever they want to please the media but who is in no way animated by principles of justice or a reflective approach to inclusivity when it comes to legislation and protecting the weak. He has no interest in these whatsoever. He is probably the worst Minister we have ever had. He is no friend of children with scoliosis – that is for sure – but he is very good at the virtue-signalling politics that gets you plaudits in certain quarters.

The Minister has tried more than once in this House to engage in some kind of verbal bluster to demonise people like me, who challenge him strongly. He does not like being challenged strongly. His PR people tell him the best approach to this is to come out fighting and to try to humiliate and belittle the person who points out the error of his Government’s ways.