Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Níl mé chun dul isteach go mion i ngach rud atá ráite. The Senators probably would have guessed that, no more than themselves, although perhaps I am the exception here, it was not most convenient for me personally to come here today, but I felt an obligation to the Seanad. This was published as a Seanad Bill. When we published it and when it was ordered for today, it was done in the expectation that the Dáil would be sitting this week as well and it was ordered for the Dáil later this week.

There is no incredible urgency. There is nothing to our knowledge that we are doing that requires the legislation as such. The genesis of the legislation is that a routine review was carried out to ensure that there was no doubt whatsoever of the powers of the Minister to carry out all the functions and it was decided, to leave no doubt, that this Bill is needed, but there is nothing of any urgent nature about it. I understand that in the event that there is no change of functions the Bill will continue on its journey and be brought to the Dáil in the next session. It was ordered as a Seanad Bill and unless the Seanad cancelled today's proceedings, I had to attend. I hope that people would understand that. It was not that we were pressing. On the other hand, I am more than happy to be here because the Seanad does continue once the Dáil is dissolved and the Seanad had business to do. There was business on the Seanad's Order Paper.