Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Senator is way ahead of me. The passion behind the arguments is very relevant and genuine and we are trying to make a piece of legislation that will work and trying to be progressive with it.As we are co-signatory to the amendment, I would be open to a dialogue, possibly with the Minister's officials, between now and Report Stage to try to agree a wording of amendment No. 6 that would be agreeable to all parties that have signed up to the amendment. I suggest that we at least enter into that dialogue to see if such an agreement can be arrived at. I hope then, on Report Stage, we would have an amendment to which everybody could be agreeable. That would be useful and it might be a positive way of moving the legislation forward. If that is not possible, we will think about what the Minister has said and reserve the right to bring forward different Report Stage amendments around this area because it is an issue we feel must be addressed within this legislation. We have some fantastic civil servants in the Houses and the Departments and clever legislators could take on board the essence of the third section of amendment No. 6 and make it relevant to the legislation so that the concerns being addressed as part of the overall amendment could be taken on board in a new amendment. I ask and urge the Minister to facilitate that dialogue between the proposers of the amendments and her officials to see if an agreed wording, which is acceptable to all sides, can be found.