Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I condemn the riots in Northern Ireland that we saw on televisions screens last night. It is so disappointing to see this sporadic and unwanted violence. The people who behave like this have no mandate. We stand four square behind the Government and the police forces, north and south, in tackling this violence and ensuring the hard-won peace continues to reign and communities continue to benefit from the peace that was so hard won over many years. We will have the opportunity to discuss this with the Taoiseach when we have a debate on Northern Ireland.

I reiterate the absolute frustration on this side of the House at the manner in which legislation is being dealt with by a Government that is arrogant and contemptuous of parliamentary democracy in these Houses in respect of how this important legislation is dealt with. If the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill is found to be unconstitutional, it will not protect one family or citizen who has suffered at the hands of these gangs. We support the legislation but we sought proper discussion. It will be rushed through this House in the same manner as the Dáil. Serious statements about our courts are made in this legislation. Fine Gael tabled serious amendments in the Dáil. Once again it is being rushed through. The Dáil is in recess and therefore the Minister will be very reluctant to accept any amendments from the House. This is no way to handle the business of the Houses, particularly with legislation which has such implications and is so far-reaching. In recent weeks, we have had excellent debates in the House on legislation. Amendments have been taken on board and subsequently passed in the Dáil. We will not have that opportunity today. I will vote against the Order of Business on the basis that this is no way to run the business of the House.

We called for debates on job creation; we wanted to discuss the pharmacy issue and we wanted the Minister of State with responsibility for children to update the House on adoption legislation. None of this will happen. There is unfinished business in all of these areas and we should have continued to work on them instead of putting the business together in the way that has been done. Yesterday, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, wrote in The Irish Times that the Government had plenty of time to consider the legislation. The Government may have had plenty of time but reaching for discussion amendment No. 6 of 43 amendments did not provide the Dáil with much opportunity to tease out the legislation, consider its implications and improve it. That was denied to the Dáil and it will probably be denied to the Seanad today given the rushed nature of the legislation.

There have been a number of leaks from an bord snip nua and I note there was one with regard to the Ombudsman for Children. These leaks are selective. The Ombudsman for Children is appointed by the President and the Oireachtas. In light of the Ryan report it would seem extraordinary if the work of the Ombudsman for Children was to be one of the areas highlighted for cuts. Will the Leader take up this issue with the Government?