Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, I thank Deputy Terence Flanagan for outlining his reasons for the Bill before us today. He will appreciate that the serious flaws and ambiguities identified in the Bill are not mere technical matters but are of such a nature that its implementation could seriously compromise effective immigration controls and undermine the common travel area. I accept that Deputy Mathews was not here earlier when I explained to Deputy Flanagan that the Bill not only does what the Deputy intends it to do, and we accept the merit of what the Deputy is trying to do, but also it causes many other complications to other legislation. It is not straightforward. It is not, as Deputy Mathews has said, sound and safe. That is not the situation with the Bill as it has been put forward. We cannot accept it. It is nothing to do with the author. That is not how I operate. I think the Deputy knows that.

See this speech in context