Government process a sham – Sherlock

Cork East TD Seán Sherlock has said that the Minister for Children and the Government simply are not listening to the reasonable concerns of the Opposition for more time on the Mother and Baby’s Home Commission Bill.

Said Deputy Sherlock in the Dáil yesterday.

“We’re being asked to legislate with one hand tied behind our backs, because we feel that we are speaking to reason in seeking more time for more deliberation on the issues. And one of the issues that is absolutely and utterly pertinent to this bill is the whole issue of information and tracing. We don’t have an information and tracing bill, which renders this bill, and its effects, I would say useless for the countless numbers of people who will want access to information in relation to the contents of the database. And I’m not convinced that the minister’s own amendments will ameliorate that. We’ve been told that the documents received, that there are 60,000 Records.

“We are seeking to appeal to reason.  The Minister has said that he will not accept amendments. It renders the next few hours an utter sham.  It makes a mockery of the legislative process.  It shows that this is a Government that is not willing to listen to the voices of those on the Opposition benches who, to our mind, are putting forward reasonable amendments.  We now have to go through the choreography and pageantry of the next hours, knowing that whatever we say is for nowt, thus disappointing and traumatising people who feel rightfully aggrieved because of the method by which this legislation is being passed.”