Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Ceann Comhairle knows well I have raised this for several weeks at the Business Committee, and the fact the Government deceitfully hid this pact until after the local and European elections. Now, we are debating a red herring here because it is already adopted in Europe, we are told. The Government has changed the wording of it. We need ample time to discuss this. Indeed, the Taoiseach promised us we would have ample time to debate it on the floor of the Dáil, as did the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, and the Minister for Justice. It is a pact that took ten years of gestation in Europe and we are going to dispense with it with a guillotine here after maybe six and a half hours. It is outrageous. We in the Rural Independent Group are fundamentally opposed to it. We have been trying to get debates on this issue for almost 18 months - we are the only party or group that has been – and we continue to do so. This is being rushed after, as I said, it was hidden away from the people until after the elections. The Government did the same with the referendums, for which it did not divulge the Attorney General's advice. We want to see the Attorney General's advice regarding many issues and many aspects of this pact. We are fundamentally opposed to it.

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