Seanad debates
Thursday, 24 October 2002
Sub-committee of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges: Motion (Resumed).
Some years ago I met a group of social workers in my constituency who were given the job of implementing a Children Act that had just been passed. They were referring to the Bill, as passed by the Dáil, to advise them in their work as they were not aware that it had been dramatically amended in the Seanad. Deputy Noel Treacy was the Minister responsible for the matter at the time. They assumed that the Bill as passed by the Dáil was the final version, as they believed the popular myth that the Seanad never changes anything. The social workers, who were implementing and enforcing legislation for a health board, were using the wrong legislation. I blame the lack of publicity of the Seanad's work for their error.
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