Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

On the basis of the Government document, Regulating Better, we should not now continue to Report Stage. That document allowed for the different Stages and encouraged Ministers and Departments to publish heads of Bills and to inform Opposition spokespersons of their intentions. In the main, the Minister has not done so in terms of his amendments. On Committee Stage, the Minister indicated some of those amendments, but we are only getting to see them today. I did not receive a faxed copy of those amendments yesterday. This is not in line with the Minister's obligations under the Good Friday agreement that legislation which has implications in terms of human rights be seen by the Human Rights Commission. That has not been done because the substantial amendments tabled by the Minister go beyond the original terms of the Garda Síochána Bill. While some of them are to be welcomed, we have not had and will not have the time to properly consider them to see if they are correct. Anything done in haste in this House has usually come back to haunt it.

This is not the first time the Minister has produced substantial amendments — Bills within Bills — at the last moment. That habit of his continues. It is not correct procedure and it should be rejected. At this point, we should not carry on to Report Stage. We should take the time to look properly at the legislation and take full heed of what was in the Morris tribunal report and in the Minister's amendments. We can then take the time to support, amend or reject them, in full knowledge of what exactly is intended by the Minister.

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