Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am always conscious during debates like this that I am in a room full of legal practitioners or former legal practitioners. I am not nor have I ever been a legal practitioner, so I always listen with great interest and great intent to what colleagues have to say.

In regard to section 1, I addressed this at the earlier Stage of the Bill in the House. I agree with colleagues around the importance of pre-trial hearings and making that as accessible, as convenient and as rigorous as can be for juries, taking into consideration all of what has been said. I want to reiterate my earlier points on this, without having to rehearse them again today. Nonetheless, I think it is a very important aspect of this legislation and I agree with colleagues in that regard.