Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is useful to clarify the position and I do not mean this in any way other than to be constructive. Obviously, in amending this legislation, we all want to get it right. Therefore, because of the office I hold, my ability to bring forward amendments will mean that I can have my amendments robustly legally scrutinised in a way that Deputies may not be in a position to do. I hope that we could net out the issues we want to discuss. I will go back through the three days of debate. I ask members to email me their views by close of business tomorrow, if possible, setting out what they consider to be the net outstanding issues. I suggest that I have an informal meeting with members early next week.

This process will have two parts. There will be some things that I am genuinely convinced I cannot change because to do so would undermine the Bill legally or from a policy or operational perspective. I will do my best to have the rationale for that explained by making available my officials and clinicians. I hope colleagues will accept that rationale on some of the issues. There will be other issues in respect of which members have wanted me to bring about change and on which I hope we will be able to work out how we can bring about the change in wording that is proposed. I suggest there will be give and take. I do not believe we will reach unanimity on all of the issues we could not resolve on Committee Stage but I hope we will be able to net them down.