Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

Yesterday the Independent Deputies issued a statement asking for legislation to be enacted within 48 hours. That was because they did not want children to be in the terrible danger which they are in at present. They wanted them to be safe this weekend. While I welcome the sitting tomorrow, the difficulty is that legislation is enacted into law by the signature of the President. Has the Tánaiste made any arrangements with the President that this legislation will be enacted immediately on being passed by the Oireachtas so there is no delay and our children can be safe this weekend?

In view of the fact that the press reported this problem could have been sorted out in the past 16 years since it was highlighted by the Law Reform Commission and that successive Governments did not do so, and that last July the Supreme Court signalled this was to be challenged——

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