Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

If I am allowed to continue, I will explain the position to Deputy Lynch. The difficulty is that the Government has spoken at length about transparency and doing business differently in the House. It has produced an agenda for Dáil reform and arranged topical issue debates during which Deputies may put forward ideas. While it has technically accepted the Bill, this legislation will join other Bills in cold storage. Friday sittings have been arranged to discuss Private Members' Bills which will be placed on a shelf. The Government Dáil reform agenda is a whitewash. It is not prepared to listen to good ideas emanating from the Opposition.

This is a good Bill. We recognise it does not provide all the answers but the Government could use it as a template and amend it accordingly. Deputy Ciarán Lynch indicated that if more time were available he would pick through its deficiencies. Let us continue to debate the legislation, pick through it and amend it where necessary. We do not demand that it be passed in its entirety. We recognise that it is a body of work that has been informed to a large extent by the work of the Law Reform Commission. It also has the benefit of Deputy Michael McGrath's considered judgment on this matter, following his work with various interest groups, agencies and individuals who have been affected by the mortgage and debt problems. The Deputy has done the best he can to produce comprehensive legislation. He is not so proud that he would refuse to accept amendments if the Government identifies deficiencies in the Bill.

Let us see real Dáil reform on an issue that is not the property of an individual political party. I do not suggest mortgage and personal debt problems must be resolved by the Fianna Fáil Party or that they are the Government's problem, which was the way things were done in the past.

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