David Norris (Independent)

I am surprised that we are back here. It may indicate that careful scrutiny of this legislation is important. I have only just seen the amendments but I understand they are intended to extend the protection of the whistleblower section to personnel under the NAMA umbrella who were not previously covered. That is very important.

I had not realised that this was a Fine Gael suggestion. It indicates that the Government can work well when it does so in a co-operative fashion. I hope there will be more of that.

I reiterate that I wish the impact of this Bill to be positive. I have certain doubts and reservations and for that reason voted against it last night. It is important that it does succeed. I am worried because I have just received a communication from a senior adviser whom I have mentioned before, Mr. Matthews, who has conducted a rigorous critique. He is concerned and I hope that on this occasion his conclusions are not fully accurate.

In the same way that the Government has listened to the advice of Fine Gael on this amendment and taken it on board, I hope it will be amenable to ideas in the form of a ruthlessly intellectually-based critique. I do not mean something destructively critical. We discussed the uses, beauties and inelegancies of language last night and I know the Minister of State here present is sensitive to nuance and knows that when I say critical I mean it in the sense of a critique that will be valuable. I hope the views of people like Peter Mathews will be taken into account. I have no difficulty in supporting this amendments.

I am rather glad to have been allowed to speak on it because the Minister of State will recall occasions when we dealt with some very antique and obscure Bills. There was a kind of antiquarian delight in that. I have been in this House for 22 years and have never experienced this particular manoeuvre before. It is like a boomerang effect. The Bill bounces from one House to the other, like a shuttlecock, to mix the sporting metaphors. I am glad to have been able to add to my parliamentary repertoire or CV this rather peculiar but interesting precedent.