Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Consequently, it is ludicrous to suggest delaying the Bill's passage until September because the courts are not sitting at present. Were passage of the Bill to be delayed until September and were something to happen in the next week or so, we would not be able to charge people with directing or participating in a gangland crime. The retrospectivity of legislation is very important in respect of the criminal law.