Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the Bill and commend Senator Wilson on introducing it and giving us the opportunity to say a few words. I appreciate what the Minister of State said and I have no doubt the matters arising from a previous Act can be dealt with by Senator Wilson on Committee Stage by means of a tidying-up measure. I was struck by Senator Norris's comment and I enjoyed Senator Mooney's contribution in that regard. It again shows that for such a learned man who comes from the rarefied atmosphere of one of the university panels, how little he knows about what happens between councillors and their respective party headquarters. I recall that a certain headquarters did not want someone as a candidate in a previous election and once the councillors got hold of that information, they ensured the return of that person.