Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take the point. The Minister has made a credible argument in favour of why the Bill should be done before the finance Bill. I also welcome the Minister's receptiveness to any good ideas that might emerge. However, the problem is that we are on section 2 and there are 157 sections in the Bill. If we get another two sections done, it is probably as much as we can do. This means the Bill will not get the scrutiny that it is entitled to get and that the people want us to give it. The Leader will be guided by the Minister. We have held good debates in the House on several issues and this is not a Bill that should be rammed through. There is no reason why we cannot either come back one week earlier or deal with it in the first week of our return in January. Were the Minister to indicate to the Revenue that he does not intend to accept any amendments but that he may make some changes in the finance Bill, then we could have the Bill done and dusted by the end of January. I appeal for that to be done. We owe it to the public.