Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

In the programme for Government, and, indeed, in the Government's legislative programme, the Taoiseach made a series of specific commitments on the legislative process. In particular, he promised that the early drafts of legislation would be brought before the House for debate before Bills are formally published. This has not happened on any occasion in the case of any legislation so far this term. Is this because of delays in or capacity issues within the Office of the Attorney General, or is there some other reason we are not getting the earlier drafts of Bills? For example, there was no reason the most recent Bill, the Criminal Justice Bill 2011 from the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, could not have been published in draft form because it was already prepared by the outgoing Government. What is the reason we have not had these drafts?

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