Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

On a point of order, the fact is that it was not previously submitted. It was out of the discussion on the amendments that the necessity of the change emerged. I proposed a variation of this to the Minister which would take cognisance of the suggestion he makes that we have an obligation to make some provision for the offence of blasphemy, that is, to define that defence in the context of the legislation on incitement to hatred. My proposal was that the offence provided for under section 2 of the Prohibition of Incitement to Racial Religious or National Hatred Act 1989 constituted the offence of blasphemy. I wished to move a verbal amendment to that effect.