Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have nothing to do with her.

It is disappointing that we are almost assuming the Government will not accept our amendments. I do not think that is how the parliamentary process should work. I would like someone to count the number of Opposition amendments that have been accepted in this Chamber during the five years I have spent as a Member of the House. I suggest that anyone who does so will not reach very high numbers. People get criticised for not challenging legislation in here, and rightly so, but it is disheartening that the chances of our amendments being accepted are so small. All we are really doing is putting it on the record that we do not exactly agree with what the Government is doing. The parliamentary process does not actually work its way out. If it did, Ministers would be entertaining the odd amendment. We feel that they do not entertain our proposals. This has been my first five-year term in this House and it could be my last term. Maybe things were the same before this term, but I do not know because I was not here. I suggest that a proper parliamentary process would allow for an honest acknowledgement of amendments that are made in a rational fashion and stand up to scrutiny.

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