Alex White (Labour)

Leaving aside the question of the merits of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill, I want to ask the Leader two questions. First, what would be the effect of any changes this Chamber might propose and have adopted in that Bill? Am I not right in saying they would have no effect whatsoever because the Dáil is in recess? There is not the slightest intention on the part of the Government to return this Bill to the Dáil when we have done with it in this Chamber. I ask the Leader to agree with me that the sad reality is that anything we do today, unfortunately and regrettably, despite all the talk about the relevance of the Seanad, will be entirely irrelevant. It is entirely regrettable that the people who are taking an interest in what will go on in this Chamber today might as well be told and are being told by the Government and by the Leader, who is colluding with them, not to bother paying attention to what happens here today because it will not have any impact.