Alex White (Labour)

That having been said, it was an important debate. We carried out our duty as Members of this House to read, study and scrutinise the legislation as best we could. I said I was genuinely open to being persuaded but I do not believe the case the Minister made was sufficiently persuasive, particularly in regard to the core issue of the trials to be heard in the Special Criminal Court. I am a democrat. I accept that he has persuaded a very large majority in this House. He has not persuaded my party. He has not persuaded two other persons on the Independent benches, nor would it appear has he persuaded the two members of the Green Party in this House who, to their credit, abstained from voting on this legislation. I congratulate them for that.

I thank the Minister but I particularly thank his officials in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This was complex legislation. They were present throughout the day, and for the debates in the other House also. They have given major input and support to the Minister on this legislation and I thank them for their availability in the House today in terms of the flow through of the Bill.

I will conclude on what I hope is not too discordant a note. In regard to legislation the Minister brings forward in the Houses, I ask him to seek to ensure if at all possible - I do not want to put this request in too adversarial a way because I have made the point previously in a more robust fashion - that if and when he finds it necessary to bring forward legislation he could pace that legislation a little more throughout the session because it is not satisfactory, and I am sure it places a huge burden on him and his officials, that in recent weeks important justice legislation - five Bills at the last count - were before these Houses in quick succession. There must be a better way of doing this and pacing important legislation from his important Department. I ask him to try to do that in the next session if legislation should arise.