I move:
That Dáil Eireann, pursuant to Standing Order 103 of the Standing Orders Relative to Public Business, directs that the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 1994, in whole be recommitted to a Committee of the whole House.
The reason I have tabled this motion is that the Minister has tabled for Report Stage many amendments which alter the shape, content and thrust of the Bill to a much greater degree than we had anticipated. He has also failed, within those amendments, to address many of the issues he said he would address when we discussed the Committee Stage of the Bill in January. Mindful of the fact that one can speak only once on Report Stage, unlike Committee Stage when one may speak several times, it is not right that so many amendments have been tabled.
My aim is to have the Bill recommitted to a Committee of the whole House. In April there was a worthwhile seminar, which was addressed by many eminent people who were of one mind that it was flawed legislation. Many comments were made about the unenforceability of its measures which, in some instances, were considered draconian and, in others, far too lenient. It is universally regarded as bad legislation.
The Minister is noted for his diligence and commitment to a close scrutiny of matters within his brief for which I commend him, but this legislation will not stand him in good stead among the business community not just in Dublin but throughout the country. It will not achieve what it sets out to do. It started off as bad legislation in Deputy Quinn's day, but is now worse. I ask the Minister, therefore, to agreed to the motion under which it would be recommitted or, alternatively, allow the review committee which will be set up to give its findings.