Ross, Shane

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government (Continued)

The Independent Alliance is delighted that the Taoiseach has decided-----

-----that we should be kept in the same roles as we held previously. We share his vision for equality of opportunity. We are also delighted that we have the opportunity to reinforce the programme...

That also includes two Bills introduced by the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, and a programme by the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan.

All of those are agreed to be accelerated and, we have been assured, they will be accompanied in many cases by more free votes in the coming years of this Government.

This is welcome.

  I wish to address some of the issues raised by Fianna Fáil and by Deputy Troy with his interruptions - not his contribution because his interruptions are alway...

In particular, I would like-----

I wish to address the issue on which he has been interrupting all evening, which is the issue of Stepaside Garda station. I thank Deputy Troy for the opening. Let me address that for him to satis...

He is right that it was part of my platform at the last election. He is right that I have campaigned for it since I came into government.

Let me say one thing. When I was negotiating on the programme for Government on this particular issue, does Deputy Troy know who the biggest pushover on the issue of Stepaside Garda station was? ...

I went to him first and I asked if he would give us Stepaside Garda station and he said: "No problem, it's over. It's yours."

-----and today he has come back and said it was a pork barrel deal. He was offering pork barrel politics by the bejaysus at the time.

Do Members want to know what these guys over here said? They said, "No". They said, "We can't do it. We can't pull it because we can't interfere with the workings of Government&qu...

-----and he said on television - it was recorded - when he was asked if he could reopen Stepaside Garda station that it would definitely be reopened. Today he is saying it is a pork barrel deal an...

Come on, Deputy Troy.

Let me say this, if there is another opportunity-----

No, I will not. I am sorry.

When I next come to negotiate a programme for Government, I can assure the House that I will be looking over there to Fianna Fáil for the pork barrel deals, because I cannot get them out of these g...

Let me address something else.

In silence. The issue was addressed again by Deputy Micheál Martin this evening. He said that there was some trade-off between Máire Whelan's appointment and the Stepaside Garda station.

Let me tell him something.

Let me tell him something, without interruption.

Yes, that is correct.

Let me tell the Deputy this. I have to clarify this issue as it is important. I learned first about Máire Whelan's proposed appointment yesterday morning. When I learned about it, there was no c...

Let me tell the Deputies this - I am not going to take any lectures from Fianna Fáil on political appointments, and particularly from Deputy Micheál Martin. Let me tell the Deputies why. Does Dep...

I will not mention her name but-----

Do Members remember this-----

Okay, that is fine. I apologise a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will just remind the Opposition of this case. The person in question, whom I will not name, was appointed by Deputy Micheál Martin-----

-----without interview and without conversation-----

-----but she did happen to be his boss's partner. That, presumably, gives him every right to criticise other people for appointments here.

In the appointments made by Fianna Fáil to the Judiciary the party stuffed it with their own people for years and years.

I will introduce a judicial appointments Bill, or rather the new Minister for Justice and Equality will do so next week-----

-----to sort out this problem once and for all.

The old system is rotten and should not be tolerated.