Seanad report
Jimmy Walsh
Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív had recently made a statement that might help the people of Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis understand why he was difficult, Joe O'Toole (Ind) said.
"He is the man who said during the week that the water in Co Galway was all right in every way except that it was not drinkable. It is like saying we could all live on Mars, but we would not be able to breathe the atmosphere.
"This man would be better off looking after his own constituency without bothering the people of west Kerry and changing the names of towns."
Martin Mansergh (FF) said there were many communities that would be grateful to Mr Ó Cuív for his excellent work. David Norris (Ind) said: "Always good for a laugh."
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House leader Mary O'Rourke (FF) said she hoped there would be a change of approach about not having the general election on a Thursday. She had raised the matter at this week's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting because she had met many young people who told her they would not be able to vote if the poll was held on a Thursday.
She was responding to Joe McHugh (FG), who said a large section of the community would be disenfranchised if they were not permitted to vote on a suitable day.
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It amazed Mr Mansergh that when the Exchequer returns came in broadly on target, it was regarded as tantamount to a financial crisis. "I have never seen anything more ridiculous in my life with regard to some of the commentary and the sort of po-faced editorials that you can read, certainly in one paper this morning."
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Mary Henry (Ind) said she regretted a considerable amount of distress had been caused to some members of the House to whom letters had been sent about the "influence" that Minister for Health Mary Harney, through her appointees, might have on any newly formed medical council.
"The ones that were sent to me were very polite. There was no good threatening me about what they might do in an election, seeing that I was not running."
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Speaking on a Government motion welcoming the progress that had been made by parties in the North, Maurice Hayes (Ind) said: "We should not expect them, nor should they expect, any miracles in a short time. All governments, even the most experienced make mistakes. In fact, the longer they are in, the bigger the mistakes they make."