Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----any U-turn had to be rejected in principle and by definition. We are in a very peculiar situation. The Taoiseach has said that he favours holding a general election in May 2020. If this Bill passes through this House in the next number of weeks, goes back to Dáil Éireann and is passed by it, and is signed by the President without reference to the Supreme Court, it would be passed only a few weeks before the people of Ireland elect a different Government.All I am saying is that in those circumstances it makes sense to give what I propose to what will, by definition, be an incoming Government. It will be in office before the Bill is ever commenced. The Minister has to acknowledge that he will not have it up and running before May. That is very clear. He simply cannot do it. It cannot be done. Even if Superman was to get the Bill into operation, he would not have all of the appointments and all of the machinery in place-----