Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

This proposal is before the House because the Whips and Opposition spokespersons forced the Government to do a U-turn regarding the Criminal Justice Bill, which it intended to rush through the House this week. It is a surrogate measure introduced to fill the gap. It appears we are into guillotine time again coming up to the end of the Dáil session. I acknowledge that Deputy Kitt, the Government Chief Whip, has, by and large, avoided guillotines in the House. We are not opposed to the Bill and our spokesperson, Deputy Shortall, generally welcomed it last night, but this is not the point I want to make. The legislation was in the hatchery for approximately three years and has suddenly been produced on the floor of the House a couple of days before the recess. We are told it must be rushed through and this is bad management and bad parliamentary practice. The procedure leads to bad law and the likelihood of a subsequent challenge thereto. The Labour Party opposes rushing legislation through the House in this manner.

See this speech in context