Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I thank my colleague for sharing time with me and allowing me speak on this legislation.

I have been thinking about the reasons behind its introduction now. It was a guilt complex activated on the part of the Government, which recognised that it had failed to protect the consumer over the past five years. Now it is to go before the people with the fig-leaf of this Bill held prominently before it to protect it from the general public's wrath.

See this speech in context