Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleague, I often get confused. Some people would say I am easily confused. I become particularly confused when we get into the type of minutiae into which we have gone in the course of the debate on this particular section. During all my time as a Member of this House I have always been conscious of the need for legislation to be brought back before the House for reference in the event of any major change thereto, particularly legislation which directly affects the consumer. In terms of membership of the board, I do not see in what is provided anything that changes anybody's entitlements dramatically. It has been suggested in some quarters that the consumer is not represented. I am sure some of the members of the board will be consumers and as such will have to have some regard for the impact of their board decisions on the wider community.

During my time in Opposition I, along with a colleague in the Labour Party, tabled 180 amendments to a particular Bill, only one of which was accepted by the then Government. In regard to the crocodile tears from the opposite side of the House in relation to this debate, debate on all Stages of that Bill took place in one day. That Bill was the victim of a guillotine, strange as they may seem. Imagine that, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, a guillotine was imposed by those now in opposition howling with derision at the suggestion of any curtailment of time now. I have never in my life heard anything like it.

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