Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Ceann Comhairle has certainly been vindicated in respect of his wisdom and his timely adjourning of the House last night. Time was needed to reflect on what had happened here yesterday evening and last night with the votes and the subsequent votes after decisions were made. These decisions are now very questionable. We are in what I would consider uncharted waters. Having received advice on this subject today, if the Bill leaves this House and goes to the Seanad and the Seanad is let do what it likes with it, the Bill will still have to come back here to us again. This is completely unprecedented. To say that it is an unmitigated mess would not be an exaggeration.

I do not think something like this has ever happened before in this way. That is why it is so important. One would have to question what we are doing with this Bill at all. What are we trying to achieve with it? What are we questioning? Why are we doing what we are doing? If any outside person who was knowledgeable of the legal process and the systems, checks and balances that are in place was to stand outside the Chamber, that person would now ask what these politicians are actually trying to achieve because what we have done so far is to make an absolute mess of it. The one person who has been highly vindicated is the person who christened this Bill a dog's dinner. It was probably the most apt description of a Bill that ever came before this House. Nobody can question his judgment, because his judgment and verdict on this Bill was 100% bang on and he has been proven right.

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