Brendan Ryan (Labour)

It appears that people who are kidnapped with a view to being tortured in some of the most nasty regimes in the world are immune from the attentions of our security services. That is disgraceful.

We will deal today with the Maritime Safety Bill 2004. I compliment the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Gallagher, on the thorough and detailed explanations supplied to Oireachtas Members in regard to the 85 amendments to this Bill. This is in stark contrast to the blank page of explanation in regard to the far more numerous amendments to the Garda Síochána Bill 2004 which were rushed through Dáil Éireann last week.

I expect no more from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Parliament is an inconvenience for that Department and rights are something it seems to abolish with enthusiasm. This House is entitled to a proper explanation of complex amendments to legislation with which it has already dealt. Instead, however, there will be only long scripts delivered by a Minister and, if we are lucky, a copy of the script. This is unsatisfactory and not the way to do business. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is a model of good practice in this regard. Perhaps it could send somebody to teach manners to those in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.