Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----enactment of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill 2013; enactment of the Courts Bill before the summer vacation; signing into law shortly, regulations applicable to personal insolvency practitioners; publication of the assisted decision making (mental capacity) Bill; publication of the fines (amendment) Bill; publication of the DNA database Bill; publication of the human rights and equality commission Bill; publication of the Bill required for the forthcoming referendum to establish a court of appeal; and publication of the new immigration and asylum Bill.

Work is also continuing on the criminal justice (corruption) Bill, the mediation Bill, the gambling Bill, the family relationships and children Bill, and the creation of an integrated family court structure. That is the work on which I am currently engaged. I look forward to constructive contributions from all sides of this House on this stream of legislation.

On the EU front, this Government realised upon taking office that it had a huge task in restoring Ireland's reputation in the EU. It was felt in European circles that the previous Fianna Fáil government had become disengaged from the EU process. For example, Ministers failed to attend important Council meetings. This led important decision-makers at EU level to take an increasingly negative view of Ireland. One of the main priorities of An Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, upon taking office, was to restore Ireland's reputation which had taken a hammering during the previous Fianna Fáil government's term. He asked all Government Ministers to give their full commitment to rebuilding our reputation in Europe. I have committed myself wholeheartedly to this task since taking office as Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence. I have regularly attended Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings and meetings of Defence ministers. I have also regularly met bilaterally with my European counterparts.

As with all matters, personal contact is critically important. In this case the issue was our country's reputation abroad. Of course, there remains the final month of our EU Presidency in which I hope to achieve many of the objectives for our Presidency's term on a broad range of measures and issues.

In relation to Northern Ireland, I have been fully engaged with my counterpart David Ford and with the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers in ensuring continuing co-operation in tackling criminal terrorism and cross-Border crime.

The catalyst for this motion is nothing to do with my substantial work as a Minister. It revolves around two matters: the comment I made on Prime Time and Deputy Mattie McGrath's questions to the Tánaiste last Thursday.

See this speech in context