Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

The Minister stayed close to his script in giving an explanation that was convoluted, to say the least. If this matter comes before a court, I do not doubt that the judge will simply refer to the last line of section 12(12). He or she will find that a mistake has been made, but there is no unintended mistake in that. It is beyond me to understand why the Minister has chosen not to amend section 12(12) at this stage, especially given the clear mistake and omission in the last sentence of the section. The section in question has been referred to by many Senators on all sides of the House.

The problem was highlighted yesterday by the Leader of the House, who said that the legislation is "rushed". One glitch has been spotted now, but how many other glitches are in the Bill? The Minister might consider that it is ultimately a matter for the courts to decide at some time in the future. It may be that another Minister is responsible for the issue at that time because there will be a Cabinet reshuffle after the summer. It is not good enough that the Minister has not conceded the point that has been made by Senators on all sides of the House and amended the legislation accordingly.