Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

I cannot believe I am reading this legislation. I have waited every week for it since March. It could have been done in April, May, June, July, August, September, October or November. Here we are now in December and this is what the Government gives us? Is the Government going to take all the calls from people in County Mayo tonight when they look at this legislation and see that 29 March is an arbitrary cut-off date? The Government cannot do this. We will obviously be putting in amendments to this legislation.

Minister after Minister and official after official swore nobody would be disadvantaged by the point at which they went into this scheme. Now, this turns out to be blatantly false. I have been reassuring homeowners. There has been talk of cohorts here. I have been reassuring families that the legislation will come.

The Minister could have introduced this legislation as an inconsequential amendment to the emergency planning Bill. I told the Minister and the Tánaiste in this Chamber. I have been telling them: "Do not worry; nobody will be left behind." Now the Minister comes and says 29 March is cut-off day. I am speaking to the Minister and the officials as well: for heaven's sake, please correct that. I am very conscious that this is not going to reach Committee Stage for another week and that families tonight are going to be in the same excruciating torture they have been in for months. The Minister has to change it. It is wholly unacceptable.

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