David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator is right when he says we have the privilege of having expert analysis from the Department, the Office of the Attorney General and beyond. The expert advice to us is not to accept these amendments for the reasons given. This is the expert advice. I will be more than happy to accept amendments if I am advised otherwise, but I am advised by the Office of the Attorney General and beyond that there are risks and dangers and that the amendments require further consideration. I must point out to the Senator I spent 15 years in opposition drafting amendments, and very often amendments are very useful for debating purposes to raise issues, debate issues and highlight issues. If we get advice from senior legal sources that there are risks and challenges and even dangers in some amendments we must take this advice. I cannot come in here and accept amendments for the sake of accepting amendments. I have consistently acknowledged the work the Senators have done in raising these issues and debating them. If an amendment is tabled that I can accept I certainly will do so. I will be more than happy to do so, and I have done so in the past in this Chamber. Unfortunately, the amendments today, for the reasons I have outlined, demand further debate and further consideration and I do not want to delay the Bill any further. I have tabled 30 amendments today and I know many of them are technical. We have been working on this.