Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1a:

In page 8, line 43, after “Council” to insert “, pursuant to section 37A of the Act of 1998”.

I begin by thanking the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to present my amendments today. I found it quite frustrating that the hatch for submission of amendments closed almost as soon as Second Stage was concluded. Were it not for the Cathaoirleach's willingness to allow these amendments to come before the House, I would have been prevented from tabling them. That was on the back of a situation where the only way I could speak on this important piece of legislation on Second Stage was by getting a colleague to allow me two minutes of her time. It cannot be said often enough that this is a very unsatisfactory way to legislate. It is inevitable there will be a lot coming at the end of term but it does not have to be like this. An enormous pressure has been put on the Bills Office because of the management of our legislative affairs in recent weeks and it is just unfair. It is disrespectful of our democracy and of the people we represent. People on all sides of the House should be saying this, and saying it often, until Government gets the message. I am not blaming the Minister of State. She is just a bigger cog in the machine than the rest us but she is a cog in the machine nonetheless and frankly, the machine is not giving a good account of our democratic processes just now.