Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House and compliment him on his speech to the House today in which he explained the Bill very well. I am pleased to welcome this Bill to the Upper House on behalf of Fine Gael. The timeframe and the technical nature of the Bill mean that its passage through the Oireachtas should be smooth and efficient. The origin of the Bill's provisions in the EU directive highlights the importance of the scrutiny of EU legislation by our Oireachtas committees as well as the fact that much work has been done on this particular matter before it reached the floor of the Seanad. I agree with Senator O'Sullivan when he asked why, if the legislation has been around for two years, it is coming before us this late. We can blame both sides.