Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I know that the Labour Party, which has a slightly better grasp on reality and the rights of people, will not support this legislation. I would bet that the Green Party will not support it. I do not know what Sinn Féin will do. The great majority of the Independent Members will not support this legislation because they will see it for what it is, namely an unreasonable, excessive and headline-grabbing stunt, rather than a serious proposal to reform the law. When the Government parties come to consider what should be in the criminal law miscellaneous provisions Bill, which will be tendered in the autumn, they will be a lot more impressed by the approach taken by Senator Morrissey than that taken by the Fine Gael Party.

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