Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I thank Senators, the Minister of State and his officials for facilitating the passage of the Bill through the House. I must record my deep unhappiness about the Bill in general, however. When the Bill was first presented I thought it was quite a simple and uncomplicated measure, but it has turned out to be somewhat different than planned. I am not happy with the Government's approach to introducing large numbers of amendments after a Bill is published. It is not the way to do business. The Minister of State's senior colleague at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, seems to specialise in it. I have been told that it is done regularly in that Department, but it is not a good way of dealing with legislation. It will leave us wide open to criticism in future. I understand the need to introduce amendments after a Bill is published, but there is a limit to that procedure.

Members of the Opposition should be given full briefing notes, especially when an amendment is one page long, yet we got nothing on it. I do not know if they consider me a genius or a fool, but I hope it is the former.