Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Tánaiste was an eminent legal counsel before his election to the House and may be obliged to return to that profession shortly. Two minutes ago, he stated in respect of the Poolbeg proposal that the matter requires intensive discussion and should go to the committee. The Criminal Justice Bill 2007 contains 51 sections and two Schedules and 156 amendments have been tabled. Four hours have been allocated to it, which comes to less than two minutes per amendment. The Hogan group report was commissioned by the Tánaiste last November and produced an interim report in January on the right to silence. However, the Hogan report itself was not published until after the publication of the Criminal Justice Bill.

Over the years, the Tánaiste has rightly made a virtue of stating that legislation should be drafted and debated properly in the interest of producing good law. This is not the way to do business and it smacks of the height of arrogance to expect that a Bill of this magnitude and import should pass through the House within four hours, without intensive discussion, as he pointed out in respect of the other matter. This is not the way to do business and I object to the process that has been adopted by the Government in ramming this through on the basis of a pending general election.

I have to hand a letter from José Manuel Barroso, who, as the Tánaiste is aware, is President of the European Commission. I wrote to President Barroso some time ago on the issue regarding the voluntary health insurance company, VHI, and in his letter of response——

See this speech in context