Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know where the impression that everything will be lost if we delay this legislation has come from. Nothing will be lost. All we are asking for is a little more time, an extra 28 days, to get the legislation right first time. Nobody is talking about dumping the work that has been done and forgetting that it ever happened. We are saying that we want to get it right.

The 4,000 people who have emailed me to ask me to slow it down cannot be wrong. I assume that approximately half of these people were involved in giving first-hand information while the others are their relations. I have had arguments on both sides. As my colleague, Senator Bacik, said, this is very emotive matter. On one side, I see everything that Senators Ruane and Higgins have spoken about but, on the other, I see the confidentiality issues. I cannot make up my mind over a couple of hours of arguments here before walking out the door with the legislation passed. Apart from the matter of the lack of democracy and the lack of respect this shows for this House, I respect every single one of the 4,000 people who emailed me. I wish I could call their names out because they are real citizens. I do not believe any of us have every been lobbied so heavily on any issue as we have been on this.

To rush the Bill through the House in one day is absolutely insane and totally wrong. I again ask the Minister to commit to not going beyond Committee Stage today and to give us an opportunity to work through and decide among ourselves what the best amendment would be. Let us take the positions of Senators McDowell, Ruane and Higgins and find a middle ground that would meet the needs not of Members because it does not personally affect most of us, but the needs of those who have asked us to represent their views. Let us not slap them in the face and tell them that the Seanad does not matter any way and, by the way, no amendments will be accepted in the Dáil either because Deputies have already been told to submit their amendments. Let us not tell them that the Government has the numbers and could not care less. The Minister cannot let himself be used to send this message. Deputy O'Gorman is the Minister and the buck stops with him. When all of this is over he, and nobody else, will be the only one remembered. I ask him to stop it now before it goes too far.