Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is a decent guy. I know he did not send a letter to Senator O'Sullivan at 5.25 p.m. yesterday. It strikes me that at the 24th hour, or the 23rd hour and 59th minute, the Department suddenly woke up and realised that the Bill was to come before the Seanad the following day and that it had not had the time to consider it. It had been so tied up in housing and all the other issues. The Bill suddenly landed on its desk. What would the Department do? It would shoot the Bill down. How would it do it? It would get the two bigger parties to agree that it would not see the light of day. What has happened is a disgrace. The Bill could be read a Second Time, and there is plenty of time to table all the amendments the Government wants to encompass anything it wants on Committee Stage. However, as somebody said this morning, the old bed is warm between the two parties. They are enjoying each other's company. The coalition is alive and well, although Fianna Fáil does not have the ministerial salaries to go with it. It would be disgraceful if we were to accept the Government amendment. We need to rock on and get in behind the Green Party on this. If changes are needed, they should be made on Committee Stage. We should be mature about this.

I am mindful of one thing tonight. There is talk of a better Bill being introduced. Sir Humphrey's famous words were "in the fullness of time and at the right juncture". In the fullness of time and at the right juncture, we will have a Bill, but God knows, it will probably be 20 years by the time it sees the light of day. The Minister of State should take his courage in his hands and say he will accept the Bill and table amendments-----