Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister and his senior officials for adopting amendments, requests, proposals and suggestions put forward by Opposition Members, Senator Jim Walsh and me on Committee Stage. I particularly welcome the fact that Members of the Oireachtas will now be included in the legislation. I was pleasantly surprised one of my suggestions to the effect that statements made at meetings and any subsequent publication thereof will be privileged for the purposes of the law of defamation has been included in amendment No. 15. This will prove of great assistance to the members of the committees and it is the first occasion on which a provision of this nature has been included in legislation. I thank those responsible for drafting the amendment for its inclusion.

The Bill will be made all the better by the Minister's adoption of suggestions that were made in good faith on Committee Stage. I know that he will be prepared to listen to further suggestions from Members of the Lower House. I thank the Minister's officials for being open to meet representatives from the GRA during the Christmas recess in order to discuss the Bill.