Joe O'Toole (Independent)

This Seanad is a new body. The House agreed for the Bill to be reinstated, as the Minister said, but in practical terms there are 35 Members who have never seen this Bill before. I supported the Bill and voted for it in the last Seanad and I still support it even though I will support many of Senator Norris's amendments because they will improve it.

The Minister has an extraordinary way of communicating but he is incorrect when he says the Government could have reintroduced the Bill on section 40. The rules of the House are very clear and we can defer to the Cathaoirleach for a ruling if necessary. I know the rules of the House because I have been a Senator for 20 years and as this is a "new" Seanad, the Bill would have to be reintroduced at the beginning of Committee Stage. This was not a case of a choice being made by the Minister and beginning with discussion on section 1 should not be presented as a sort of gift from Government. The rules of the House state it must begin on section 1.