Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is the opinion we were given. I am not a legal professional but it is the view of an eminent senior counsel. The Minister referred in her reply to considering the Constitution as a whole rather than article by article. It was for that reason we put forward the amendment - to ensure consistency with the constitutional protection in Article 40.3.1°. The Minister has outlined the legal opinion she received, which is fair enough. We wish to put on record that we felt the amendment offered a stronger wording which would strengthen the provision. We have not tabled any outlandish amendments. Anything we have done has been in an effort to be constructive. I am sorry the Minister will not accept the amendment, but that is the difference between being on this side of the House and being on that side of the House.

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