Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

There has been much debate on the question of rights-based legislation, the complexities of which the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, has already addressed.

The Bill will establish entitlements to assessment of need, to services set out in a related service statement and to redress if the assessment or the services are not provided. The Bill cannot ignore the reality that funding and resources are finite. Therefore, services will grow as budgetary and staffing constraints are overcome. This approach is grounded in reality and deals with the actual delivery of tangible results.

See this speech in context