Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the drafting work that has been done on the amendment. It clearly provides for a consultative process and ultimately facilitates the legal services regulatory authority in prescribing a code of practice deemed appropriate based on the principles of the legislation but some other issues must be considered in the context of the section. It was always my intention and hope which I articulated to Deputies that the various amendments published last week would be made available to Deputies immediately prior to the Christmas break. It proved impossible to achieve this because of the technical work being done and pressures on the Attorney General’s office. I appreciate that the timeframe I envisaged in early December for making the amendments available - the amendments we are discussing were tabled in July 2013 – was not fulfilled. It is reasonable that amendments are furnished in order to give Deputies adequate time to furnish amendments to amendments if they wish to do so. All I can say to the Deputies is that I will do my best to ensure an adequate period of time will be available for them to consider Report Stage amendments and facilitate any work that needs to be done on them.