Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-03
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Alice-Mary Higgins (IND), National University of Ireland

With respect to the Chair, the argument being made by the Leader right now relates to the issue of the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Chathaoirleach being in the Chair. The argument in relation to seats does stand up because there is an additional door through which only the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Chathaoirleach can pass and which an be kept open even if the doors for voting Members were to be closed. Crucially, however, that is not the argument that was read into the record. What was read into the record was that the two and one is only a minimum. That was read by the Leas-Chathaoirleach into the record as a rationale. That, for me, is a crucial point. We have been told that, in effect, the two and one is discretionary.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:25+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-03