Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

They may be. If the Minister acts on this in the same way as he acts on the anecdotal evidence of his colleague, the Minister for Defence, the point made by Members on all sides of the House, and beyond, that we should deal with the small print in a way that ensures we get it right is valid because the Supreme Court will test every line of this legislation.

I ask the Minister to give us every opportunity to deal with each section of the Bill. He should refrain from making statements to the effect that people say he plucked this out of the sky. He did not pluck it out of the sky but the manner of, and the timeframe and the process for dealing with, this Bill are less than they should be. Having regard to the failings of the 2006 Act, which he is trying to address, it is important that he answer the questions that arise in the House.

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