asked the Minister for Justice whether any decision has been made to reintroduce the Criminal Justice Bill; and, if so, whether any amendments have been made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Criminal Justice Bill.
29.
There is no change in Government policy in relation to the Bill. The Bill will be proceeded with as soon as an opportunity presents itself.
Amendments to the Bill as circulated have already been made in the Dáil and other amendments officially approved have been circulated. I should like to repeat what has already been said more than once that any reasoned criticism of any provision of the Bill will be given the fullest consideration by Government.
May I inquire from the Minister if in view of the many political gyrations of the former Minister and of the Cabinet and of his party, notably at the Ard-Fheiseanna of his party, on this Bill, he would now bury for good and all the more odious and more politically unnecessary and legally ludicrous sections of this measure and save us the bother of having the legislation reintroduced?
I am not aware that there are any sections in the Bill that would fit the descriptions employed by Deputy Desmond.
The Minister must have read it?
In view of the fact that there is widespread public confusion as to what precisely is now contained in the Bill and in view of the fact that the Minister himself——
Repetition, speech.
——did not disclose that, would the Minister circulate to the Members of the House and to the public at large an explanatory memorandum on the policy of the Government and the intentions of the Government in this matter?
Hear, hear.
When the Bill comes before the House the matter will be fully explained by me.
On television there were five different versions of what would be contained in the Bill.
The Bill is in existence or was in existence up to the dissolution of the last Dáil.
Was in existence?
Could the Minister explain the new amendments which are envisaged?
An explanatory memorandum relating to the amendments to sections 30, 31 and 45, put down by my predecessor, was circulated with those amendments.
Is it not a fact that there is no Criminal Justice Bill or no intention whatever of introducing one?
There is every intention.
(Cavan): In view of the fact that the Bill has now been ditched for nearly 12 months and that it has been the subject of much controversy, would the Minister not agree that a neater way of dealing with the whole thing would be to introduce, if he must, a brand new Bill with a brand new explanatory memorandum?
And a brand new Minister.
That is one of the matters to which I will give consideration before I introduce it.
Will it come in before or after Deputy Moran's press conference?