David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to make a contribution on the amendment and make a wider point. The amendment seeks to improve the working of the tribunal. What we are all trying to do is find ways in which we can make the tribunal more attractive to women so they can make a claim in the first instance. We have had some discussions on the advantages of the court system by comparison with the tribunal. It seems the only thing we are doing here today is extending the timeframe for a woman to make a claim. Will it be possible at any other time to make changes to the tribunal process, or is it the case that it simply cannot be done and that the only option is to leave the tribunal as it is such that no changes of any description can be made, whether through amendments by us or anybody else, and to extend the time period? The core problem is we are just extending the time period in which women may make claims but we are not dealing with any of their concerns. In some respects, that is why this legislation could be a wasted exercise, keeping in mind all the additional costs it will incur.

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