Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When he was sitting on the back benches of this House as an Independent and on the back benches of the Seanad for 30 years, he liked to have his voice heard. His voice was colourful, sometimes informative and sometimes of benefit but now that it has an impact on the legal establishment of the State and how it operates, we have to consider caution rather than political expediency when we decide what to do with it. Our proposals, which have been before the Minister since October 2016, have presumably been thrown into the room where such proposals are stored when put forward by the Opposition. They should be dug out and looked at in detail before Committee Stage. Deputy Michael McGrath said that hopefully the summer recess will bring some common sense and senior Fine Gael Ministers might consult some legal friends in their constituencies before Committee Stage in the new term. I hope the amendments being tabled by Deputy O'Callaghan, in line with our Bill, will be taken on board. What we are about to do here is not play the ball or play the man but dig up the pitch.

That is wrong and it has huge implications for law enforcement in our State and for the Judiciary.

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