Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be fair, I do not take it personally at all. I want the Senator to know it is not a Government thing. There is not a sledgehammer from anybody across the way saying we have to do this. I felt we wanted to do this this week and I think the Senator is being slightly disingenuous to the people who will make contributions on Friday. It will not lessen our view, our scrutiny, our wish and ambition to change and make it better. If there is an amendment here on Friday, it will have to go back to the Dáil. It is as simple as that. That is the way it works. We try, though it will not always be possible, to do the business of the House by consent and I continue to do that.

The Senator is right that it is not best practice to have all Stages on the same day. Of course we would not do it if we did not think it was an emergency. I do not agree with the Senator because I think this is really important. Too many of our children are being bullied viciously online and there is no legislation to protect them when perpetrators are caught and we have the evidence. What exists in Ireland at present is a wet, soggy sponge which does nothing for our children. The legacy of this young lady who passed away far too early and the determination of her mother, Jackie Fox, will be honoured by the House and by Parliament on Friday when we send the legislation, please God, to the President to get it passed.