David Norris (Independent)

I support what my colleagues said. This seems to be a fairly chaotic proceeding. I am not sure why the Bill must be dealt with this evening. If this is a really serious matter, then it deserves serious consideration, which we should give it.

As Senator Ross apparently said, and I am sorry I was not present to hear him, no good reason has been produced as to why this cannot wait until morning when we can consider it. The matter is unfolding all the time.

I was just having a cup a coffee and saw someone on British television say that there are fears that this could be breaching competition law, and perhaps other Members have averted to that. That is nonsense. I have said many times in the House that we in Ireland, in addition to people in Europe, have in many ways made a little tin god out of competition, the market and all these other shibboleths to the disadvantage of the ordinary citizen. As representatives of the ordinary citizens of Ireland, we should have an opportunity properly to discuss this important legislation.

The only way the Bill will be completed is by guillotining it. Perhaps we will see it at 12 a.m. but what type of reasonable discussion is there likely to be in this House at midnight or after midnight when the Bill has been already been guillotined in the Dáil?