Government Accused Of Trying To Ram Through Legisislation In The Dáil

Wednesday, 6 July 2022 09:18

By Caoimhe Harney

TDs are trying to pass bills before summer recess this week.

The Government has been accused of trying to ram through legislation in the Dáil this evening.

TDs will be asked to pass five bills in five hours the week before the Dáil takes its summer recess.

The defective blocks bill for families impacted by Mica and pyrite is one of the bills going through the Dáil tonight with just two hours for amendments and passing stages.

Another bill to do with retention of phone data in the wake of the Graham Dwyer case is also expected to be passed after just 45 minutes of debate.

This bill had a much shorter than usual scrutiny process and privately some members of the Oireachtas Justice Committee think it could get serious criminals off the hook if holes in the law haven't been found.

Other bills tonight include one to make it easier for the Department of Education to force a school to create special education places and a bill to eliminate paediatric inpatient charges.

Opposition parties say the Government is curtailing proper scrutiny and trying to ram through new laws before taking summer holidays.

The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar meanwhile has said there would have been more time for legislating if the opposition hadn't spent the year tabling frivolous Dáil motions.

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