Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

We are hearing more behind the scenes stories about legislation now, but everyone in the House welcomed the civil partnership legislation. I support the recommendation. It is important that we move as quickly as possible towards the consequences that arise in financial terms and they should be dealt with under a finance Bill. The key question is whether this recommendation will move that process along, whether it would be useful and whether it would work in the interim before more detailed work is done. A total of 155 amendments may be necessary but is this something that would be useful in the period before we get to that detailed stage? Would it serve to highlight the intention and the implications which arise from the civil partnership Bill?