Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I compliment Deputies Shatter and Flanagan for bringing this Bill before the Dáil. The Government and the Minister have a cheek to question the credentials of Deputy Shatter, who has brought more than 20 Bills through this House. In the past, Governments had the courage to accept those Bills and put down the necessary amendments on Committee Stage.

The Minister should have accepted this Bill and put down the necessary amendments. He and his government talked about Bills like this for the past 20 years. He has been in government for 18 of the past 20 years and all he could come up with last week was a press conference. If he was serious about this Bill, it is in the House that he would have told us what he proposed. But no, like all Fianna Fáil Ministers, he runs out either to "Morning Ireland" or the other media because he is afraid to come here and face Members on the opposite side.

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