Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, the legislation will not be cast in stone after this meeting of the committee. All we can do is table the amendments which the committee thinks are suitable, have a vote on them and see how they are. Everyone recognises further thought will have to be put into the legislation after Committee Stage concludes. No matter what happens, the Minister recognises this. In terms of the group of amendments we are considering at present, dividing the body into five different committees is not a good idea. We have gone through the reasons for and against, and the Minister will consider all of this, but the committee should make a decision on it. What the committee decides will not be the end of the world. The Minister will have to come back and reconsider it. I am not sure what the outcome is going to be, to be frank. If the outcome is to remove these committees the Minister will be able to come back with a proposal on how the presidents of the two other courts should be included. They should just be made part of the commission. I do not agree with a lay majority because, as Deputy Ó Laoghaire said, if it needs to increase in number then it needs to increase in number.

I am a conciliator by nature, but if I am being asked to withdraw the amendments in the prospect that the Minister will come back in due course, that sounds great today but with the passage of time things change and before we know it we will be on Report Stage and I will be stating that I thought we had an arrangement. The committee should send a message to the Minister as to what we think of the legislation. It is either voted down or it is not.