Feargal Quinn (Independent)

While I appreciate Senator Ormonde's words and I am convinced the Minister of State intends that, he is Minister of State for the moment. We are passing legislation that gives a future Minister the opportunity to introduce statutory instruments instead of primary law. The Minister of State has correctly described it as more "effective". While it will be effective, it will not fulfil Senator Bradford's aim of bringing citizens closer to the European idea. Subsidiarity, about which the Minister of State has spoken, is weakened as we avoid primary legislation and permit statutory instruments. The Nice treaty failed here but we managed to get it through the second time. In France and the Netherlands they turned down the constitutional treaty, and various explanations were given but I believe it was because the citizens were removed from central Europe. This closeness to the citizens is in danger of being damaged as we pass legislation that is not open to the full glare of publicity. Here and in the rest of Europe, every time we pass legislation by statutory instrument instead of primary legislation that passes through the Houses of the Oireachtas, we give the Minister the possibility to pass legislation that is not noticed. It is the wrong way and we should reconsider it.