Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can only say that I am overwhelmed with all the love. I think we should have the last day of sittings every day. I thank Senators for their kind comments and I wish all Senators some relaxation as we head into the summer break. With other matters coming down the track, I am conscious that many of them will be very engaged, but I urge people to take some time out. The one thing I have learned in political life is that everyone needs to recharge their batteries. I thank everybody for their comments.

Many of the cases in the asylum area are judicial reviews. Many of them are awaiting hearings in the High Court, and some of them have been long delayed because they awaited decisions from other courts outside the State. If we make this change, it should ultimately ensure that matters which might have suffered a further logjam will be broken up. I hope that when we come back from the summer break, I will finally be able to bring in the immigration and asylum Bill. This has been delayed for no other reason than the demands on the Office of the Attorney General of a raft of other legislation that I have been bringing forward. I wanted to prioritise this area from the start, but some of the same people who were drafting this had to draft Bills in other areas which the troika demanded we give priority.

It is almost unfortunate that this was not an issue to which they demanded we give priority. There is a limit to what personnel can do and those who work with me in my Department are probably heartily sick of me at this stage and I am sure they will be glad to be rid of me for a couple of weeks over the vacation period. I hope they and the Senators have a good vacation. I look forward to further interesting and constructive engagements in this Chamber when we all come back rested in September.