Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

This is a good piece of work. We started out in this House with a different Bill. The multitude of amendments made is an indication of the extraordinary amount of work done by departmental officials and the Minister. This is an important Bill. It is good to participate in the passing of what may be the last Bill to be passed by the Oireachtas in the term of office of the Government.

The last time we discussed a Bill in the presence of the Minister, he had announced his retirement from politics, but I did not get an opportunity to wish him well in his retirement. I take this opportunity to do so. He has shown great respect for this House and debate in it. One could not accuse him of not knowing the detail of his brief. He is able to parry questions on every aspect of a Bill when challenged to do so. I may have had the impression he was impervious to representations from this side of the House, but in certain cases such as this Bill he was ultimately very open to ideas. He has given a long commitment to politics. He has worked hard on the important legislation debated in this House in the last three and a half years and I have enjoyed working with him. I wish him the very best in his retirement.