Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have brought up something of substance. My recommendation has been ruled out of order on a technicality and as a result, I was advised by the Cathaoirleach and the Leas-Chathaoirleach that I was within my rights to speak to the section.

What I am saying is that section 4 should include a recommendation of the kind I am making, which proposes the insertion of a new section 5 that would amend section 195 of the principal Act. If the Minister of State is going to talk in respect of the content of the recommendation I am proposing being different in its scope to other matters covered within the section and to claim in this House that there is no such thing as a Bill of an omnibus nature or a Bill that treat of different issues, I can tell him that only a few weeks ago, we had considerable debate in the Seanad about how completely discrete issues were tacked into the same piece of legislation at the last moment. I seem to recall that it was in the context of the mother and baby homes commission legislation.

I ask the Minister of State to credit this House with some intelligence by sharing his thoughts with it. He is a fine legislator who knows his stuff so he knows as well as I do that it is no argument against the possible inclusion of this recommendation were the Government to have brought it forward that it somehow differs in scope, content or application from other things that might be covered under section 4 of the Bill. I ask the Minister of State for his specific response to my procedural point because he seems to be suggesting that not only does he not have to engage with what I have said because my proposed recommendation was ruled out of order, even if it had not been ruled out of order, there is no need to engage with it-----