Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The Bill passed all Stages in the Seanad on 24 April 2002. It subsequently lapsed on the dissolution of the 28th Dáil but was restored to the Order Paper on 18 June 2002. It now returns to this House for Report Stage having been amended in the Dáil.

I propose to outline briefly the aim and content of the changes made, some of which take account of concerns raised in this House. For ease of reference, I will go through the list of 28 amendments.

Amendments Nos. 8, 11, 22 and 27 are essentially drafting changes designed to improve the sense or layout of the text, while amendments Nos. 12, 14 and 20 provide in each case that the Minister shall consult with the Data Protection Commissioner in advance of making regulations under the respective provisions. Such consultation had already been provided for elsewhere in the Bill in relation to other matters and is fully justified in these instances also.