Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It has been claimed during this debate that the Minister, Deputy Shatter, is somehow a uniquely reforming Minister. This is just not true. His predecessors in the Department generated an average of 15 to 20 Acts per year and these often had a profound, reforming impact. Many of the Acts brought forward by the Minister have been good and we supported them. However, some important measures are increasingly driven by his personal obsessions and he is dismissive of any disagreements. The Legal Services Regulation Bill is a good example in this regard. If the Minister ceases to hold office, legal reforms will still be proposed, debated and implemented. The difference is that such reforms will reflect a broader democratic input.

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