Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not that, definitely. I thank the Chairman.

I would like to thank the contributors for their contributions. It was interesting listening to the contributions because when I read through the heads of the Bill, head 8 was the one that stuck out as to how it would happen in practice and three of the contributions highlight that as being a major problem with it. Funnily enough, if you were an alien looking down from space at our legislation, you would think this was a great country but when you come down and see how the legislation is implemented, it is completely different. This is a danger with this legislation as well, in that it will be nicely laid out in the law but nothing will happen on the ground in terms of implementation and enforcement. Could Dr. Taylor expand on what happens in the UK and on how the UK deals with it? That would be important. How could we put that into the legislation here to ensure it takes place? That is something Dr. Taylor might have to follow-up on with suggestions in terms of amendments. That is my main point.

The point Deputy Martin Kenny made about the political discourse defence is very important and should be enacted in the legislation.

I would like to ask Dr. Taylor about the legal threshold that the victims of hate crime in Northern Ireland have in the Republic and that we need to recognise the Good Friday Agreement in implementing this legislation. Maybe Dr. Taylor could respond to the point on the tests also.