Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 4, lines 8 to 14, to delete all words from and including “purpose—” in line 8, down to and including line 14 and substitute the following:

“purpose the complainant and the prosecution may, on application to the court, seek further information in relation to the evidence that is to be adduced, and”.

I wish to put on the record of the House that following the Second Stage of this Bill which, thankfully, everybody thought was a good idea, I met with the Minister of State and the officials and I must state that there were so kind and accommodating to me and Senators Chambers and Pauline O'Reilly. They gave us sterling advice as to what was wrong with the Bill in the nicest possible way. The amendments here, therefore, are to take out some of the things which have been problematic for the passage of this Bill and are probably not central to the Bill either. I am aware, as I am sure the Minister of State is, that there is another issue with the Bill but I have missed the deadline of taking that amendment out. I am aware then that the Minister of State will highlight that point and I thank him for doing so. I would also expect that that aspect will be amended when the Bill comes before the Dáil.

I am very pleased that this has happened, and that it will, please God, pass all Stages in the Seanad today with everybody's support. I thank the Minister of State, in particular, his team and all of his officials for making this a reality. If I can be then, as cheeky as I probably normally am, I ask for as early as possible a slot in the Dáil to make this Bill a reality in order that it goes on to the statute books in whatever shape or form the Minister of State feels he will take it in before the Dáil.