Ms Doireann Ansbro:

We need to remember that what we do today sets a precedent for the future. If there is any way we can improve processes today, we must do it. We are all behind the pubic health effort and we understand why the restrictions on rights have been brought in. We do not know what type of Government we will have in the future which might use these precedents in a way that we would not all support. That is why conforming to rule of law standards and human rights law, which is in place to protect us, is important. One way the Minister can demonstrate his commitment to the rule of the law, human rights and democratic scrutiny is by taking an opportunity to revise the initial legislation before it is renewed. He can do that by introducing these democratic oversight requirements in the primary legislation. For example, by requiring pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas of all regulations and that the Oireachtas must approve regulations within ten days of they being passed, as IHREC recommended. Those elements could be introduced in the legislation today and more than anything that would demonstrate the Minister's commitment to bringing us back to the type of democratic scrutiny that protects us all from the misuse of power.