Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will beg the brief indulgence of the Chair on this amendment. The word "waiver" is problematic and is causing women real fear. I know we cannot vote on anything but I would certainly support either rock solid confirmation when we come back or us looking at taking it out in the miscellaneous Bill because it is causing real fear. I know my amendment on legal aid was ruled out of order and I know the Minister has provided assurances that it will be there but if he does have the opportunity to sum up at the end, could he speak to it, particularly around the point I raised on Committee Stage? While it is great that the Minister is finding a way via statutory instrument via justice, could he talk about the appropriateness of the legal aid? The point I made on Committee Stage was that many of us will have seen these poor defendants in lower courts being represented by legal aid counsel who have never even met them. It is not an appropriate level of defence, regardless of whether or not it is free. Whatever free legal aid the women involved may get, and the fact that the statutory instrument will hopefully be moved is very welcome, it must be at the requisite level of experience, depth and specialisation.

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