Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would be happy to have that discussion with the Senator again.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh raised the matter of Bills in this House. Some 22 Acts have been enacted in the 12 months that both Houses of the Oireachtas have been established in this session. There has been, as the Senator knows, an increase in pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation and there has also been a greater involvement of committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas in the work of Parliament in the scrutiny of Bills. I have asked on this side of the House, on behalf of all of us, that more Bills be enacted and initiated from the Seanad to go to the Dáil. It would be much better to have Bills start here as much as we can, to have scrutiny and debate here. Then if there are any issues with Bills, we can start them here rather than in the other House.

I say to Members from Sinn Féin and other Members that new politics involves them having responsibility not just to oppose at all times, but to play a greater role in the debate. Senator Máire Devine may well shake her head, but it is not about opposing as if it was old politics-----