Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to give some indication of my thinking on this issue. I will not say that we hold the balance of power but we have a significant influence regarding this amendment. I am in the same position now as I was before the committee. Regarding what the Minister of State just said, I do not think it is a good point to claim that we should oppose this amendment simply because people are going to have to apply to the courts and the Circuit Courts are going to get busier as result. That is not a good enough reason. It is a reason to provide greater resources to the courts and to ensure they have sufficient resources to be able to apply the laws we pass in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I said on Committee Stage that the reason I was not going to push these amendments was that would delay the enactment of this legislation. It is important legislation and I am concerned that if this amendment is passed, then the Bill will be delayed.

The Minister of State's best point was his last one, although it was not a legal point but a political one. I am referring to the Minister of State's comment that if this amendment is enacted that it is going to delay the legislation. This legislation is useful. It will be of benefit to people in the difficult and terrible position of having their houses repossessed and facing those applications before the courts. We may be able to gain a victory here tonight, be able to state that we managed to get a provision inserted into the Bill and then state that has worked well for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin or the Labour Party. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is not a Fine Gael Minister. I am concerned, however, that the passing of this amendment would provide the perfect opportunity for Fine Gael to state that this Bill cannot be enacted because there is a necessity to get further legal advice. Having listened to the Minister of State's last point, and his stance in respect of it, I will not be supporting the amendment. I may abstain but I will not support it. I just wanted to say that so that people have an awareness of where the votes will go, should this amendment be put to a vote.

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