Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

As is typical with complex legislation, it is necessary to make minor clarifications of a drafting nature and that is what these amendments do. I was seduced by Senator Bannon's mellifluous tones during the Bill's passage through this House and kindly accepted one textual amendment which, as it turned out, would have had a disastrous effect that neither of us foresaw, and which we had to reverse in the Dáil. The amendments do not reflect any policy changes but are purely textual, of a drafting nature and designed to produce clarity. They pick up on minor points made during the Dáil debate which were not picked up on during deliberations in the Seanad, thorough though the Seanad debate was.