Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I did not agree with Senator Bannon's earlier comments about the Government and will not join him in that regard.

Senator MacSharry said An Taisce had done good work but that it had proved to be divisive and destructive. As somebody who comes from rural Ireland he made his point very passionately. He referred to the joint policing committees which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is establishing today and called for the pilot schemes to be extended countrywide.

I have some news for Senator Coghlan on the pharmacy Bills. As he said, the first Bill covers fitness to practise and is expected to be published later this year. The second Bill provides for the regulatory framework, but no date has yet been given for its publication. We will seek to publish it in this House. It is welcome that both the Minister's Bills published today, concerning privacy and defamation, will be Seanad Bills and will be debated in the House in the early autumn.