Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

Perhaps I might ask about the regulations. It was no one on this side of the House who said that the disciplinary regulations would be in place by the summer recess, it was the Minister who gave that assurance on 19 May. He set that deadline for the conclusion of his statutory obligation to consult. In subsequent parliamentary questions, he said that he has extended the deadline beyond the summer recess. Now he says that he is simply obliged to continue the consultation period, presumably for many more weeks.

Breaches of discipline are serious and the code is important. It was greeted with fanfare on the day of the Morris report's publication as the Minister's immediate considered response. I do not expect the Minister to accept this, but it seems that it was simply a contrivance to get through the day. We have still not got the procedures in place months after the Minister gave a firm commitment to this House that they would be introduced.

See this speech in context