Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----because there was no legislation to do it. We are introducing retrospective legislation. That is what we are doing to people in rural Ireland. It is lip-service and to hell or to Connacht. The ordinary people are only minions and they do not matter.

I was surprised by the Minister of State. I did not think I would ever be in the House passing legislation to make people guilty of crimes of which they were innocent but found guilty under false legislation. I spoke to Deputy Pringle today and I told him I hope someone will challenge this because it is totally wrong and disgraceful that legislation can be passed to make guilty people who were charged with something of which they were not guilty.

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