Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I am delighted with her appointment as she will be an excellent Minister with responsibility for children and it is a well-deserved appointment. I am sorry there are not more women in the Cabinet, but Deputies Burton and Fitzgerald will be really excellent in their respective briefs and I am delighted they are Ministers. I am sure the children's rights referendum will be prioritised to a much greater extent under Deputy Fitzgerald's stewardship than it was previously and this is crucial.

I also welcome the motion and the Minister has put the case for an early opt-in very well. It is clear there is a volume of activity in this area and that it is important to ensure greater certainty for litigants across the European Union. Of course, this is not about the harmonisation of legal procedures because as the Minister pointed out, it only applies to international or transnational cases with an international dimension. However, it will reduce the cost and time taken to do business and thus ensure the conduct of business benefits.

I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government to devote a full week each year to debating major EU issues of concern. I suggest the week commencing 9 May, Europe Day, would be appropriate, given the volume of EU directives and decisions coming before us. It is important that we take a step back once a year to consider the different themes and measures coming from the European Union.

Let me briefly remark that Senator Callely behaved outrageously this morning. Lest the silence of any Member be-----