Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

One does not need a fait accompli in everything. We seldom have an open debate about things. It is accepted that this is a national issue which needs to be tackled. I acknowledge the Minister's declaration of his good intentions in this regard and that it is a serious issue. It seems he has been provided with extensive legal advice. As a contribution to this debate and in an effort to move the debate forward, will the Minister publish that advice and let the House know about the problems? I suggest we all take legal advice on this matter and present our proposals for the Minister's consideration. Why is it necessary to wait until everything is finalised and the Minister has presented his final proposal? There is a sense of urgency about this issue and much interest in it. He should put his legal advice in the public domain and we can take it from there. The Minister should accept that neither he nor the Office of the Attorney General has the monopoly of wisdom in this area.

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