Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to the Cathaoirleach for standing before he invited me to speak. I will table my amendment on Report Stage, but I suggest that the Minister reconsider this issue, given the danger involved. I do not suggest that it would be due to him. I hope that the situation is changing in the public service, but reviews have been conducted previously. Sometimes, they involved joint committees and were made at the very end of a five-year period, leading to rushed jobs. For this reason, I suggest that there be two separate reports on facts. This could give some impetus to the process. We do not want to burden the public service or the Minister with this proposal, but it would be important to know whether the legislation was being used.

Legislation of this type is sometimes criticised for its complexity. That criticism could be mildly applied to this Bill. One would want to know quickly whether the legislation is working or is too complex, whether the code of practice is working and whether people are able to understand the legislation. It might be better to know the answers before five years have passed.