Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

There are five Bills due this session. There will be ample opportunity for Deputy Durkan, who is obviously expressing genuine concern about this matter, to put his views to the House when the legislation comes before it. Whilst I accept that he regards it as a matter or urgency, respectfully, I do not think it is necessary every morning, when we let people know when Bills are coming through, continually to ask questions the answers to which do not change. Five Bills will be before the House this session and there will be ample opportunity to discuss the whole remit of criminal justice matters concerning any of that legislation. It does not add to the business of the House continually to ask the same question when we know what the answer is all the time. A phone call to the Minister would probably clarify the issue in two minutes.

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