Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all three of the main political parties, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael, for their excellent co-operation with this Bill. Senator Mac Lochlainn pointed out that he would have liked to have had the Bill go through more quickly. It is left to us, of course, to decide the appropriate constitutional methods for transposing this matter into domestic law. The issue concerned is a very complex one and the directive required detailed discussion over a number of months between officials from the Department and the office of the Attorney General.

Directive (2014/32/U) is also a particularly technical directive and such technical directives can be difficult at times. The transposition of the directive also required officials to work closely with and draw upon the expertise of the legal metrology service of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. I thank the NSAI for its technical contribution to the drawing up of the provisions of the Bill and also for its work in drafting the regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 for the remaining articles of the Directive. I know that the three Senators here today understand the urgency of the Bill itself in helping us avoid infringements on and penalties from Europe. I sincerely thank all of them for their support for the swift passage of this Bill through the Upper House today so that we can avoid such scenarios. I understand that Committee, Report and Final Stages of the Bill will also be taken and I again thank the Senators for their support on this.