Minister for Justice Michael McDowell rejected Opposition demands for more time to debate the Criminal Justice Bill 2007.
He said that the great majority of members of the House supported the Bill and he denied that he was trying to push it through before Easter. "It will go through the House during the period before Easter. It will then go to Seanad Éireann where it will also be discussed extensively. I will bring this Bill back from Seanad Éireann to this House with any amendments made to it."
Mr McDowell said he had published the scheme of a Bill in February. "I brought before this House a Bill that has the support in principle of the great majority of people and it was debated on second stage. "I am grateful to the Labour Party and Fine Gael for their support for the principle of the legislation. I accept the Green Party and Sinn Féin object to the principle of this."
He said he would always listen to reasonable proposals for amendments. "Yesterday, in a letter, a small minority of barristers made a good point on the repeat offences provision and I will take it on board and amend the legislation to reflect that."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that over the years, Mr McDowell had rightly made a virtue of stating that legislation should be drafted and debated properly in the interests of producing good law.
"This is not the way to do business and it smacks of the height of arrogance to expect that a Bill of this magnitude and import should pass through the House within four hours, without intensive discussion."
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said that while Mr McDowell had little regard for the House, he had thought he might have regard for the views publicly expressed by his colleagues at the Bar or those of the Law Society of Ireland.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said: "Why are we here in the first place if we do not take our job seriously and be responsible about legislation being passed, particularly when it has such serious implications?"
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said Mr McDowell would have earlier heard appeals from his co-professionals that he was embarking on a dangerous course.
