Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is not. When one includes something specifically, that excludes everything else. That is the basic rule of legal interpretation. I understand that and I am well informed on this. This matter is going to end up in the courts. It is taking away rights and there is no need to take them away. If the Minister had stuck to what said on Committee Stage, it would be game set and match to him. He had taken the wind out of our sails and I am sure Deputy Ferris had to sit down and accept what he said. I accepted the bona fides here and was shocked when this amendment No. 31 was introduced. If we got this straightened out I think the rest of the evening could be easy, but this matter is critical.

I cannot understand where this is coming from. As far as I am concerned, the INHS has always done well and continues to do well for what is right in the sport. I do not believe this amendment serves the best interests of the sport and constitutionally, what is being put forward in this section will be challenged if the wording remains unchanged. It is my job to scrutinise it here as best I can, in the dying weeks of this Administration. No-one knows whether I will be back or not. So be it. If I am not back someone else will look at this and I may well be looking at it in another forum.

If I was given a choice tomorrow on behalf of this group, I would strongly advise legal action. That is my strong legal opinion and it is shared by far more eminent people than I. Some of my colleagues know some of those who share this view. There is no need for this amendment. I urge the Minister to back down and to leave out the reference to integrity.

Leave out the word "integrity" and we are in business. When the governance and administration is taken away, there is nothing. The clothes will be taken off the emperor; he will be naked.

I am deeply concerned about this and I ask the Minister to reflect carefully on how this will end up. Although I was ill for a few days and was not in the best of form, I believe the Minister has been fully put on notice about the importance of this section. Some of my colleagues may have more to say about it than me but I am certainly not happy about it. I urge the Minister to go back to the drawing board. He has a chance to sort this out in the Seanad, if all goes to all. I am not happy with it and want to reflect that very clearly and unambiguously.

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