Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I join my colleagues in thanking the Minister of State for the attention he has given to this Bill. I thank the House for accepting amendments proposed by Senators on all sides of the House. The former Senator Pat Kennedy was a member of the Opposition when I was bringing through the Companies Bill as Minister of State. He expressed some most helpful ideas and thoughts in relation to the legislation at the time. I commend the Minister of State for his willingness to listen to others and assure him that Senators appreciate the fact that he is bringing so much legislation through this House. His attendance and that of his senior officials is also appreciated.

It is important that information is given to the public, as a great deal of legislation is being passed. We must ensure, for example, that the 70,000 who will benefit from this Bill are properly informed, for example, on a website or by e-mail. Perhaps the Department's website could provide a summary of the Bill to communicate the attractiveness of the new provisions to those who will be affected. The Minister of State and his officials, as well as IBEC and the ICTU, have put a great deal of work into it. The public may not be aware of the benefits to them of the legislation going through both Houses of the Oireachtas.