Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Work is under way on the legislation. I do not want to give an exact date for its introduction because I am conscious that it will have to be finalised not only by my Department but also by the Attorney General's office. The latter, I understand, is under substantial pressure as a consequence of all the legislation emerging from my own and other Departments. Taken together with the legislation we are obliged to publish within a defined timeframe under the EU-IMF agreement, it is difficult to predict a date of publication for the Bill, but the likelihood is that we will not see it until the autumn. It is very much subject to the pressures exerted by the demands of my own and other Departments.

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