David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

To follow up on the point made by Senator Ó Clochartaigh, the Minister said that the logic for the initial registration is to ensure that we have a database, which will allow us to carry out inspections and checks. He said the purpose of the initial registration was to get basic information - I have no difficulty with that - and that the re-registration was to get more information and allow inspection. Why is there a need for a second registration? It does not make sense. What Senator Ó Clochartaigh has said is right. The Minister has not clarified why there is a need for re-registration. He accused people on this side of the House of being anti-environment because they oppose a Bill on entirely different grounds - that is, on financial grounds. He will not debate the real issues.

The Minister has been asked a simple question about re-registration but his argument, from where I am standing, does not make any sense. He has not given us any credible reason for the requirement to re-register. It is not a question of looking for shadows or anything else; I am trying to find some logic in what the Government is doing. If I could see the logic, I could perhaps support it, but I fail to see the logic.