Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have been interrupted twice while attempting to do so. I am speaking to the Bill and the context in which it is being presented. The explanatory memorandum states:

The purpose of the Bill is to amend Article 45 of the Constitution by adding to the end of that Article a provision, contained in the Schedule, that the State shall progressively realise, subject to its maximum available resources and without discrimination, the rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and that this duty be cognisable by the courts.

I am responding on behalf of the Government on the issue of the resources that are being made available in order to recognise those rights. The Government is fully entitled to do that within the time allocated to it. I am afraid I am the only speaker on behalf of the Government, and there may be a judgment call on that. However, 30 minutes have been assigned to me and I fully intend to speak to all of the issues that have been raised by the Deputies opposite.

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