Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

On behalf of the Labour Party, I thank the Minister of State for his contribution and accepting a number of amendments on Committee Stage. I dealt with the Bill for the Labour Party on Second Stage and it has had an amazing history in the House. The major criticism we must make is that it takes so long to add very important international legislation such as the MARPOL and Bunker conventions to the Irish legislative stock. I hope the Bill will be made law in 2006 after its lengthy passage through the Houses. It is good to see that the Minister of State, after his many travails in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is still dealing with matters concerning the marine in the Department of Transport.

See this speech in context