Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator's party has a proud tradition of attracting barristers, and many eminent ones. I sought legal advice from the Attorney General and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, OPC, and they confirmed to me that the current structure of the provision is very much in line with the drafting practice that takes place in these Houses and that it allows for either or both categories of claim to be pursued. The construction, as it stands, is very much in line with all the other provisions of the Bill and with drafting practice. The very strong view of the OPC is that it is preferable to maintain it as stands and that it does exactly what the Senator would like it to do in terms of recognising both categories.