Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Then it should be brought through the normal process. Let anybody who has concerns about it be heard. The bottom line is any impactive legislation suggested by any State agency is processed by a Government Department and promulgated as a Bill. The committee Deputy Lawless chairs would take submissions from anybody who wants and hold hearings from anybody so that all their questions can be answered. If it is simply rubberstamped tonight it means those questions are unanswered except by a script that says it will be all right as it has come from the DPC. That is contrary to the way we normally make law, which has been accepted as the new process of making law. My final ask is for the Government to respect the House and its processes, withdraw this temporarily, let it go back to the committee, let the committee hear any submissions in the autumn and then if it is as the Minister of State says, it will be law before the end of the year in any event. It would not do any harm to anybody to have that level of delay. Is there a reason this is urgent this minute? Is there a reason the Minister of State can give the House that this must be done tonight and that having due process and allowing those with real concerns to have them fully aired and answered cannot be provided for?

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