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

On the amendment, I was disappointed to hear some of the personal attacks that were made on Deputy Nolan, which were totally wrong, because everybody has his or her mandate when he or she comes in here and everybody is entitled to say what he or she wants to say and move the amendments that he or she wants to move.

Certain sections are trying to box a group of Deputies into a corner and make us out to be something that we are not. The people of Ireland voted the way they voted and I am not allowed to speak on behalf of anybody else but I know I am not generalising when I say that we are democrats, we understand that the people voted the way they voted it and that is it, end of story.

However, what has happened since has been remarkable. As I said last night, the Minister has changed and made so many U-turns at this stage that it is amazing. He is entitled to do that.

The people are now getting something that is completely different from what they voted for. The vast majority of amendments that were moved by Deputies to support the Bill are changing it. Just because we question it and because we want to have legislative scrutiny, which of course the Oireachtas should have, we are being questioned and the big issue seems to be that we are delaying the Bill. Nobody is delaying anything by as much as one minute. This is taking the time it would take regardless. The Minister will be able to bring in the legislation by the date that he has given and debating it is doing nothing to interfere with that. No Deputy here will speak for one second longer than what they should and I am sticking to that as the Acting Chairman will note.

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