Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill. I note that, like many others, I pushed for the Bill for many years. Back in 2018, when we were making the case for safe access zone laws, none of us thought it would take five years. It is a shame it has taken so long. However, I commend the Minister and his officials on getting it to this point and I note that groups such as Together for Safety and others have welcomed it and have pushed for it to come into law swiftly. I do not want to delay matters further.

Deputy Smith has brought forward these amendments in the spirit of constructive engagement, seeking to ensure the legislation will be effective in its application, that An Garda Síochána will have sufficient powers to ensure proper enforcement and that the legislation is future-proofed. I see these two amendments as facilitative and constructive and the Labour Party will also support them.

Again, I commend the Minister and his officials on bringing the Bill forward and note it has received a strong welcome from all who have campaigned for so long for it.

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