John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Kelly noted that the Bill was published in May 2017. Members will recall that the heads of the Bill were available prior to publication and the joint committee dealt with them in pre-legislative scrutiny. We were as surprised as the witnesses to note that certain sections that we had discussed in pre-legislative scrutiny did not appear in the Bill when it was published. When I spoke in the Dáil in July 2017, just before the summer recess, the Minister stated clearly that substantial amendments would be introduced on Committee Stage. The committee has written to the Minister on a number of occasions pointing out that we are still waiting for amendments to appear more than a year after the pre-legislative scrutiny. We had anticipated, perhaps wrongly, that the select committee would deal with Committee Stage of the Bill in late 2017. We have corresponded with the Minister urging that the amendments to the Bill be dealt with because she has not introduced amendments. Members are familiar with the issue.

On a general point, while we work collaboratively as a committee, it is up to individual members and their political parties to bring forward amendments on Committee Stage.