Ivana Bacik (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. On behalf of the Labour Party, I again welcome this important Bill. I am glad that we are seeing it move swiftly through the Houses and that we are all on the same page with it. However, I support Senator McDowell's proposal to present the amendments in a way that is more coherent. I spoke on Second Stage about the piecemeal way in which, unfortunately, the principal Act, the Children Act 2001, was commenced and implemented. Many Members, including me, have spoken on previous occasions in this House about the need for clearer co-ordination and codification of legislation, particularly criminal law statute. In the spirit of greater clarity and ease of access to criminal law statutes, I support Senator McDowell's amendments. The spirit in which he has advanced them is very much a constructive one. In England, we have seen a strong movement towards clarity of drafting in criminal law statutes. In this State, the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA, has asked us to be more straightforward, clear and accessible in legal language generally. Senator McDowell's amendment is in keeping with that spirit.