Seanad debates
Wednesday, 22 October 2003
Irish Nationality and Citizenship and Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage.
We must now examine the text of the Bill to see whether it will, if enacted, achieve the aim stated by Senator Quinn. This is where we encounter some difficulties with its current wording. What I have to say in this context is a dispassionate, impersonal and somewhat technical commentary on the text and is not intended, nor should it be understood by anyone, least of all Senator Quinn, to be a criticism of the drafting skills deployed. From bitter experience in compiling many Private Members' Bills, I am aware of the considerable personal commitment involved in preparing such a Bill and I congratulate the Senator on his initiative. Nonetheless, it is necessary to examine the provisions of the Bill, as it stands, to ascertain whether it would give the right results.
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