Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

We are anxious to produce proper legislation and a certain amount of time is necessary in that regard. The Minister may have noticed that a number of my colleagues on this side of the House did not contribute to the debate on Second Stage. A number of them stated that they wished to speak on the Bill but they did not have sufficient time to study its provisions. It is a great pity that it was not possible for more Members to contribute. Rushed legislation tends to be bad legislation. The more time people are given to consider legislation, the better it is for everyone.

Various Members eloquently made the point that enactment of the Bill will mean that we will merely be presented with a further part of a patchwork quilt. Inevitably, more holes will appear in that quilt as time passes.

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