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

It is a very positive development and the Department will very much benefit from it. Part of the problem with the Department is that it was very easy for people from the outside to be critical of what was a bunker attitude within it. However, if it is open and is engaging more on policy and research issues, that will be helpful for it. I am sure everyone in the room is, like me, conscious of the amount of legislation coming from the civil and criminal justice areas. Just yesterday two Bills were passed by the Dáil. Many Bills are a result of our requirement to transpose EU directives or decisions. For instance, yesterday we transposed a decision from October 2009. Why does it take such a long time for decisions and directives to be transposed? Given the new systems in place, will things happen more speedily?