Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The amendments seek to amend the provisions of the Bill relating to victim impact statements. While I have no objection to the general intention of the proposed amendments, the Bill reflects the provisions which apply in the ordinary criminal courts pursuant to section 5(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. The wording is exactly the same. If, by virtue in the current debate regarding the operation of those provisions, the law applicable to the ordinary criminal court is amended, then any such amendment should also apply to courts-martial at that stage.