Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. On Committee Stage, I asked the Chairman of the committee to ask the Minister of State to provide an explanatory memorandum. The Chairman did not do so but, to be fair to him, he said he was sure the Minister of State would come forward with a detailed explanation of what Ireland was doing, why we were doing it and which other countries were doing the same. While I received a mountain of legislation from other countries, I received very little by way of explanation. One should not rely on rumours in the House, but I have heard rumours that the American ambassador was in a couple of times and had a particular interest in this Bill. Every embassy across the land has an interest in what we are doing. I sometimes wonder why, but that is the case. There is nothing untoward about an embassy taking a particular interest, but I would be concerned if that was being done not on the basis of national security, but on the basis of an economic realignment of the State that has not been discussed. I would like to know the Minister of State's reasons. In the absence of those, we will fall back on hearsay, innuendo and rumour.

See this speech in context