I welcome the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and his officials to the meeting, the purpose of which is to resume consideration of Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice Bill 2004. It is proposed that the meeting will continue until 5.30 p.m. with one hour's break for lunch. I propose we adjourn at 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., have a coffee break at approximately 3.30 p.m. and continue to 5.30 p.m. Is that okay?
Business of Select Committee.
I am keen to finish slightly before 5.30 p.m. rather than slightly after it as I have a commitment in west Cork tonight.
We will certainly facilitate the Deputy. I welcome Deputy Howlin, the justice spokesperson for the Labour Party. I also pay tribute to Deputy Costello who, during his time as justice spokesperson, I always found to be the epitome of what an Opposition spokesperson should be. At all times he ensured, in the true democratic parliamentary way, that every amendment was well and truly teased out. All the Bills which came before this committee while he was a member were better as a result of his participation.
Deputy Costello also contributed very much to the community policing report, on which he acted as rapporteur. As a result of his contributions, this committee is rightly seen as one of the premier Dáil committees, if not the premier one, in regard to legislation and the work for which it is responsible. I wish Deputy Costello well in his new portfolio in defence and European affairs. I look forward to seeing him at this committee as the defence spokesperson.
Deputy Howlin has previously been a member of this committee as his party's justice spokesperson. I am delighted to see him back as spokesperson on justice and I look forward to the same parliamentary tussles as he gave in the past with the object of improving legislation and the other work of the committee.
I would like to be associated with the Chairman's comments regarding Deputies Costello and Howlin. Everything he has said is correct and represents the views of all members of this committee. The enthusiasm that Deputy Costello showed for the justice portfolio has already been mirrored in his role in defence. I have seen him in uniform already.
I endorse the comments of the Chairman and the Minister about our colleague, Deputy Costello. He was an example of a hard-working parliamentarian. He brought considerable insight to his work as his party's spokesperson on justice. He was a credit to his party in the very constructive work he did and in always being ready to bring the Minister to task when necessary. While we miss him, we are fortunate in having a replacement with whom I have worked previously and who will bring his own special insights and experience to the job.
I thank the Chairman for his kind remarks. I look forward to working on the committee. Having served on the committee with the Chairman, I am mindful of his talents, which I greatly appreciate. I am surprised he is still Chairman of the committee and not sitting in the Minister's seat by now. However, such matters are beyond our control. The Chairman certainlymerits promotion.
I will need to report to Deputy Cassidy that this is the premier committee. Having worked for some years on the Committee on Enterprise and Small, I was under the impression that Deputy Cassidy felt he chaired the premier committee.
I am mindful that the three most senior Fine Gael people on this committee during my four years as a member, former Deputies Jim Higgins, Shatter and Flanagan, and the Fianna Fáil convenor, former Deputy Marian McGennis, all lost their seats. I am mindful that it is possible to spend much time in this bunker under the floors of Leinster House doing important work for the State that might not be appreciated either by those who send us here or by the journalists whose job it is to reflect the work of this committee and all the other committees that work so hard. However, we will do our best.
I thank the Deputy for his very salient comments. At our last meeting, we had completed up to amendment No. 63.
I wish to make one other observation. I fully appreciate the sterling work in this area of my colleague, Deputy Costello. I hope to be able to match his effort.
The original list of amendments and the eight additional lists have been replaced by one composite list of all amendments for ease of reference. I presume everyone has a copy of the composite list dated 19 April.
Is there a new grouping for the amendments?
We will circulate it.