Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a lot of respect for the Minister but I cannot accept what he said. On Committee Stage, Senator Fitzpatrick said that she withdrew her amendment "on the basis that the Minister of State will incorporate it in the next Stages". This is Seanad Éireann. We do not deal with that much legislation and, as the Minister knows, this business is being guillotined today. This is the last chance for Senators to contribute on the Bill. I am going to put this amendment to a vote. There is nothing in this amendment that takes from anything the Minister said. He indicated that he wants to expand beyond what is contained in the amendment. He said he accepts the content of the amendment and that is on the record of the House. He said there is nothing wrong with the amendment but he wants to expand beyond it. He is the Minister, the expert, and has the advice of officials at his disposal. I fully respect that and have no doubt that he does want to expand on the content of the amendment. However, this is important and simple. There is not a word of this amendment with which the Minister could argue.

As I said, the Minister's colleague, his party's spokesperson on housing in this House, made a strong case for the amendment, as did many other Members of the House. We are either ad idemon a matter and believe it is worth fighting and pushing for or we are not. This is important but it is more important that people watching, including commentators on housing policy, understand where we stand.If we say a thing, we stand by it and if we believe in something, we go with it, pursue it and make a case for it. I fully respect the Minister. He made the point that he wants to go beyond this. Yes, he can go beyond it, and he will have another opportunity in Dáil Éireann. I will call a vote on this.