Ms Emily O'Reilly:

I absolutely respect the right of the Oireachtas to do what it considers proper. I acknowledge that many people would prefer the areas of immigration and asylum and prisons to be included in my remit. I spoke extensively about the history of the Bill in order to impress on members the torpor that descends when things do not happen. This Bill was ready to go 25 years ago but it never happened. Much of the delay was caused by bodies which fought to be excluded - I do not refer solely to bodies under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality - with the result that long conversations and arguments took place, people lost the political will to keep up the campaign and then something else popped up. It has been very difficult even to get the Bill to this stage but I am confident that we might have it by the end of the month. It is entirely open to this committee and to individual members to do what they want but my view is that on balance it is best to proceed with it than to delay it further in the hope that whatever the Department of Justice and Equality proposes will fit the requirement for an independent and transparent appeals process. It is not a turf war. I personally do not care who is responsible for the process as long as it is done.