Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

I second Senator Coghlan's proposal to amend the Order of Business to discuss consumer issues. This is a highly important matter both in respect of consumer protection and of the competitiveness of our economy.

I also refer to the Civil Partnership Bill because I was involved in the debate in this House attended by the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan. Whatever one's views on this legislation, a promise was made last October that the heads of the Bill would be published before the end of March in a joint statement by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. I understand this was included in the programme for Government at the insistence of the Green Party. A debate was held in this House and although the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, confirmed the heads of the Bill would be published by the end of March, it appears this will not happen until September or October.

Either Members can trust what they hear in this House from Ministers or they cannot. I do not understand the purpose of Members' debates if such a response is received and no follow-through takes place. Will the Leader address this issue? For example, in respect of the issue concerning the WTO and the Lisbon treaty, while Members received confirmation that this would be clarified by the Minister, it did not happen. As for the aforementioned Bill, it is important that debates in this House should be frank and a firm commitment should be met. This is what destroys trust in individual Ministers and in the Government.