Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I re-emphasise that it is unsatisfactory that members of the Committee on Justice and Equality who are meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. are being asked to deal with wholly new amendments in respect of the Bail (Amendment) Bill. The amendments are such that the Tánaiste has seen fit to amend the Title of the legislation, and instead of the Bail (Amendment) Bill, we will now be dealing with a Criminal Justice Act 2017 if it gets through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton, gave two reasons for the urgency that has been inputted into this matter. First, the Garda Commissioner has requested that consideration be given to making statutory provision for detention under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 of individuals who are severely intoxicated. The Minister of State has also said that it is the Tánaiste's wish that these provisions be commenced sooner rather than later. These may be genuine objectives on the part of the Garda Commissioner and the Tánaiste but it is unsatisfactory that such significant amendments and such changes to legislation are being made in this way. Notwithstanding that, it is important that we get on with our business tomorrow morning at the Committee on Justice and Equality. I will deal with the substance of the amendments tomorrow morning, should this motion be approved. I express my dissatisfaction and that of Fianna Fáil with the manner in which this has been dealt with.

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