I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that Cabinet collegiality is important in terms of the smooth running of Government and honesty between colleagues, in particular, is important. When Fianna Fáil tabled a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, in September last we were conscious of anonymous leaks to the media from some of his Cabinet colleagues that they did not have confidence in him. They were complaining on an ongoing basis about him and notwithstanding that, they voted for the Minister in that debate.

However, there is now the extraordinary revelation, reported in the Sunday Independent and other newspapers, that on Wednesday last the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, spoke clearly about his lack of confidence in the Minister, Deputy Reilly's ability to do the job. It was following a discussion at the parliamentary party at which some Deputies expressed strongly held views. The Sunday Independent reported that Labour Party chairman, Deputy Keaveney, railed against the Minister, Deputy Reilly's "privatisation agenda" of health and that Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated that the Minister was the "elephant in the room"-----

Deputy Martin must have been there.

-----and was quoted as stating:

We are going to have to do something about Reilly and soon. Clearly he is not up to the job of being Minister, and in my view he should go. He simply can't do his job, makes a hash of everything he [does].

The key intervention was made by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, when he responded that "your sentiments are shared by your cabinet colleagues", but he then went on to state that the party "can't be seen to be looking for a head."

The Minister, Deputy Quinn, is fast becoming the poster boy of breathtaking political cynicism in this House. He did not speak during the debate on that confidence motion, but he voted confidence in the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and acquiesced in the principled resignation of then Minister of State, Deputy Shortall. Now we have learned that all along he did not believe any of that.

I believe that the Minister, Deputy Quinn, did speak thus at the Labour Parliamentary Party meeting.

Deputy Martin has run over the time. Would he put his question?

Did the Taoiseach meet the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and has he asked him to confirm or deny that he made those comments at the Labour Parliamentary Party about a ministerial colleague?

It is not so long ago that there used to be 12-hour meetings of the parliamentary party of the party in which Deputy Martin is involved.

I notice that Deputy Martin has moved from a point of accepting everything he reads in the newspapers to be the truth. Let me inform him that I have spoken to both Ministers, Deputy Quinn and Deputy Reilly. They are absolutely at one concerning the job we have to do. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, has full confidence in the Minister, Deputy Reilly. Deputy Martin has been spouting on about motions of no confidence, so he should put one down again whenever he wants and the Government will deal with it.

Our job is to fulfil the mandate given to us, to sort out our public finance problems, to deal with the creation of jobs and to continue to provide opportunities for job creation so that people can go to work. In addition, we want to improve the climate for investment in the country both from abroad as a foreign direct investment location and to improve the circumstances of our own indigenous economy.

Deputy Martin can speculate all he likes and can give truth to speculation, rumours or quotes in newspapers if he wishes. I want him to understand, however, that the Minister, Deputy Reilly, will fulfil his mandate as Minister for Health.

What about the Minister, Deputy Quinn?

This Cabinet is focused entirely on the mandate given to us by the people to sort out the mess that Deputy Martin left behind him. We will do that irrespective of the claims or allegations that he makes.

I have made no claims or allegations.

The Deputy implied it.

I was not at the Labour Party meeting. I asked the Taoiseach a simple question. I know that the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has come out to say he has confidence in the Minister for Health, but did he make those comments at the party meeting or not?

Like Brian Cowen.

That is the simple question I asked the Taoiseach, but he avoided answering it yet again, just as the Minister, Deputy Quinn, avoided answering it yesterday.

The Taoiseach was not at the Labour Party meeting.

He neither confirmed nor denied making those comments. We know that the Labour Party Deputies agree with opposition Deputies on the Minister for Health's performance, including all those whose home help hours have been cut, the debacle over primary care centres and the attack on people with disabilities. That is why Labour Deputies do not have confidence in the Minister for Health.

What does Deputy Buttimer think of that?

Many Fine Gael Deputies and Ministers do not either.

Does Deputy Martin remember his hand in all that?

We are on the cusp of yet another major health Estimate that will wreak further damage on health services. I just want to ask this simple question: did the Minister, Deputy Quinn, confirm to the Taoiseach that he made those comments at the Labour Party Parliamentary Party meeting, "Yes" or "No"? Did the Taoiseach talk to him about it and did he confirm it?

If Deputy Martin was not the leader of his party I would say something else to him about the nature of his questions. I do not have to speak for the Minister, Deputy Quinn, or anybody else. I can assure Deputy Martin that the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has full confidence in the Minister for Health. Far from Deputy Martin saying that he made no claim, he is just after saying that what he read in the newspapers is the truth, as if he was there. It is the same old story, as when Deputy Martin had the opportunity to say if the IMF was in the country, if our banks were solvent and were we ever to have what he termed the cheapest bailout in history. His amnesia is setting in at a very early stage politically speaking.

What does the Taoiseach mean by that?

Deputy Martin has not made a claim, yet he claims that something written in a newspaper is the truth, as if he was there. Let me repeat for him that the Government has a challenging position ahead. We never said that this was going to be an easy remit, but we are not lacking the courage to sort out the mess Deputy Martin left behind him.

Neither the Taoiseach nor the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has denied it, so it must be the truth.

Please allow the Taoiseach to continue.

In that sense, let me assure Deputy Martin that the Ministers, Deputies Reilly and Quinn, are part of a Government that is focused on dealing with our problems - that is, to improve the state of our public finances and to continue to provide opportunities for investment, growth and employment. That is the Government's remit and all members of the Government are focused on it.

He said he cannot be seen to be looking for a head. That is dangerous for the Minister, Deputy Reilly.

Deputy Martin would know.

We know where Deputy Buttimer's head is.

The Deputy has had his outing. I thought I had quietened Deputy Buttimer down a while ago. Will you please resume the quietness? I call Deputy Adams.