Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to come back to that issue. It is important to note that as the Minister has said, we are speaking to the amendments which refer to the exemptions. It will be noted from my contribution on Second Stage that we certainly congratulated the Minister for bringing the Bill forward and noted the extension of powers. It is important to say that as the Minister has raised the issue. This is about getting down to any particular areas of the legislation that we consider will not do what is best in the common good. I appreciate what the Minister said about the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Our experience is that most complaints were made where people believed they had not experienced transparency or an openness to redress and relate to particular services of the Irish Prison Service, naturalisation and asylum seekers. It would be remiss of us not to address this issue.

Ministers come and go but I hope that the Minister for Justice and Equality introduces legislation as quickly as possible. I would place great weight on the comments of the Ombudsman as somebody independent of the Government. The general public would do the same. Any citizen would believe Ombudsman is doing an extremely good job and that she has been forthright in her opinions when she gives them. She does not express them lightly and the weight of her opinion must be taken on board. We cannot allow such an area to go unaddressed and I ask the Minister to reconsider the measure. It is a retrograde move and I disagree with his analysis of the matter.