Deputy Robert Molloy has sought permission, and has been granted such permission under Standing Order 48, to make a brief personal statement.
Personal Statement by Member.
Question No. 2 on the Order Paper today in my name was answered by the Taoiseach. Unfortunately I could not be present in the House at that time as I was attending, with a deputation from my constituency, at the office of the Minister for Transport. In reply to subsequent supplementary questions regarding the continued membership of a local authority which applies to the Tánaiste and Minister for the Environment, the Taoiseach could have implied that I, when Minister for Local Government, now Environment, had continued as a member of a local authority for a period of ten months after my appointment to the Cabinet. I wish to refute this implication. I did not remain on as a member of a local authority after my appointment as Minister for Local Government. In fact, I resigned my membership at the first opportunity as I and the Government, of which I was a member, considered there would be a serious conflict of interest were I to seek to fulfil my statutory duties as a member of a local authority as laid down in the Local Government Acts and at the same time fulfil the statutory duties of the Minister as laid down in the same Local Government Acts.