Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

To be very clear, I have never suggested the Bill is not about prevention. I have said that is the purpose of the Bill and I know it is being introduced because there is a recognition of this issue. I am sorry if that is how my contribution was construed. That is exactly why we have the Bill and it is what it is trying to do. I am saying, however, it should be named in the functions of the authority, precisely because it is the ultimate goal. It is the rationale behind the Bill, so let us put the rationale behind the Bill up-front in the functions of the regulator. That is the difference.

Clearly, that is why we have the Bill and why people have campaigned for it for so long. It is about making sure the drive behind the Bill is reflected in its language, including in the language of the functions of the authority. The Minister of State and I agree on the purpose of the Bill. It is just a matter of how it is expressed in the language of the functions.