David Norris (Independent)

I have no difficulty with these amendments, but I wish to comment briefly on something the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, said. He referred to the fact that he had addressed the most significant matters raised in the House. However, he did not deal with what most people would agree is by far the most significant matter, that is, the exclusion of human rights under the legislation. Most people who spoke on this issue hold passionate views. The Minister of State consulted various groups and listened to the views of the Parliamentary Counsel. This morning I received notification from the Law Society of Ireland that it is now seriously concerned. The wording it suggested for an amendment, upon which I was briefed by virtually all national organisations dealing with human rights, is identical to the wording of the amendment I tabled. The Law Society of Ireland has strongly supported this. I am very disappointed this did not occur to the Minister of State when he referred to discussing the most significant issues and preparing amendments along those lines with an indication he would agree to them. Perhaps it is simply an oversight, but I very much hope the human rights provision will be agreed to in light of the forthcoming argument.