Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Senators Bradford, Mullen and Phelan referred to the guillotining of legislation in this House. I gave an assurance in 1997 that no legislation would be guillotined in this House. I take credit for the fact this was not the case before then. The guillotining of debate is against everything I stand for. I prefer that every section is debated line by line. There is available to members a CD of last week's Second Stage debate on the Civil Partnership Bill, which was exemplary. It was one of the best Second Stage debates in this House during my lifetime. What happened later in terms of repetition and filibustering-----