Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I regret that this legislation is being rushed. As my colleague Senator Ó Domhnaill has already indicated, we have submitted 75 amendments to the Bill, and the Sinn Féin Senators, I understand, have submitted another 22. That is a total of 97 amendments, which warrants time for each and every one of them. I hope this Committee Stage will not be guillotined. As my colleague Senator Ó Domhnaill mentioned both as Gaeilge and in English, the Government Chief Whip, Deputy Kehoe, has listed Second Stage of this Bill for discussion next Tuesday in the Dáil, which is treating this House with contempt, if the Acting Chairman does not mind my saying so. I have the height of respect for the Leader of this House, who is an honourable man, and I believe he is being put under undue pressure to get the Bill passed in the House, which is unacceptable.

To clear up one other thing, Deputy Kehoe's statement in the Lower House this morning that we had no other speakers offering during Second Stage of this Bill last week was not correct.