Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

The Minister has explained what an opinion means or can mean, indicating that it can include suspicion. We are establishing a criminal offence in respect of a whistleblower. Any case that would be considered by a court would be looking specifically at what an opinion means, reasons for forming an opinion etc. It would be very helpful if in the definition section, the definition which the Minister has given of an opinion for the purposes of the criminal offence would be set out. If that is what an opinion is to mean in this criminal law sense, we should set it out in the definition section.