Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator McDowell is right insofar as he suggests that we are now dealing with the heart of the Bill. I am not, a Chathaoirligh, going to go back over ground that has already been covered, with particular reference to the role or, indeed, the disposition of the Attorney General at any given point.

I have carefully listened to this debate in its entirety. I am not indicating that I am going to unravel any aspects of the Bill that have already been concluded on Committee Stage. Rather, I would now like to deal with the amendments before us which are amendments Nos. 78, 79, 90 and 91, all of which are important.

In the first instance, Senator McDowell suggested that this legislation is unique insofar as it deals with a form of assessment of candidates. He used the word "vetting".