David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For the second time in less than a week, I find myself in this Chamber involved in a good and important debate. I congratulate Deputy Ó Laoghaire on bringing it forward but the House is doing the Deputy a disservice because there was no pre-legislative scrutiny of this set of important proposals. It will be debated in two hours - I have ten minutes - and the committee will do pre-legislative scrutiny after a major part of the legislative procedure has been dealt with. That is wrong. This important set of proposals should have been considered by the committee, as all Government Bills have to be first. Deputy Penrose spoke about calling for submissions and so forth. Having spent five years doing this kind of work at the justice committee, I know its value and that it is extremely useful. The pre-legislative report should be brought to the House to allow all Members have the benefit of that work. However, we are not doing this and we are flying blind in many ways.

See this speech in context