SEANAD REPORT:THE OPPOSITION should mark the start of Lent by undertaking to consider giving up its approach of opposing the Government, and instead express a willingness to support whatever correct actions were taken, Feargal Quinn (Ind) said.
His call was welcomed by Government members, but it drew a less enthusiastic response from the other side of the House.
Mr Quinn recalled that in 1987 the opposition had stopped “opposing for the sake of opposing” and had committed itself to supporting the then government as long as it was doing the right thing.
He warned that there was a danger of this country becoming a modern-day Easter Island if we did not heed the lesson of how a thriving civilisation could undermine itself by not behaving sensibly.
Deputy Seanad leader Dan Boyle (Green) said that while he would agree with Mr Quinn that Opposition mindsets needed to be changed, he believed there was a need for such a change in Government as well. Whoever found themselves in government would have to acknowledge that unpalatable choices had to be made.
There was an onus on those in Opposition to show what alternative choices they would make which were not populist but were, in fact, unpopular.
Nicky McFadden (FG) said she regretted having to disagree with Senator Quinn, who was a wise and responsible man. The lack of leadership from the Government side made her blood boil.
It was better to carry out major capital projects, such as the proposed Dublin North Metro system, when there were fewer people going to work, Minister of State for Transport Noel Ahern said.
Hopefully, this project was still on schedule, he said, in response to a query by Paschal Donohoe (FG). The House was debating a report on the cost and efficiency of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann.