Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the promise that the Minister of State will return to the Attorney General to see if there is any way to cover the issue. Deputy Barrett covered the issue well and got to the nub of the matter. The church has a role to play. We need to take the Del Boys out of the sale of mass cards. I agree with the Minister. We are not complaining about the shops, but about people paying for a mass that is not being said. The church has a role to play and it must be stronger about saying to congregations that they should only buy cards that are signed by priests they know.

Deputy Barrett got to the nub of the matter. Mass cards should only be signed on the day people pay for it and should be signed by a priest they know. We should stop the Del Boy situation where people sell signed mass cards to shops that then sell them on to customers and nobody knows whether the masses are ever said. That is an abuse of the church. I am glad the Department was in contact with the bishops and am delighted Bishop O'Reilly and the church will come out strongly on this. It is not right that people pay money under false pretences. The situation is similar to that with the collection of clothes. I am glad the Minister of State intends to get further advice on the issue. I welcome that and hope he brings forward the necessary amendment to deal with this when he brings the legislation to the Seanad.

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