Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

The Minister will not start a legal revolution in the matter. My point is, where are the criteria for use of oath or affirmation? In fact, people take the oath or they affirm. Does a judge ask them their beliefs? This does not really happen in practice. In practice, they state that they wish to affirm. As it stands, a person is entitled to affirm if he or she is allowed by law to do so. That is all. What does that mean in practice? It does not refer to a person's beliefs. It is a mess. There is nothing clear about when one is entitled——

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