I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

We are being told how to do our job and it is absolutely ridiculous.

On a point of order, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhaigh, an assertion is being made that people have not stuck to the amendments and the Senator is misrepresenting the Senators in the Chamber.

Can the Senator deal with the amendments at hand, please?

The Senator needs to speak to the amendments at hand.

I am sorry, Acting Chairman, but Senator Malcolm Byrne has come in repeatedly to misrepresent our roles and to tell us how long we should and should not speak, in the first instance-----

It is absolutely atrocious that just because Opposition Senators are in here working hard and tabling amendments that somehow that is framed as a negative thing. There is something seriously wrong with a man from another party coming in here and telling us how to do our jobs.

Senator Malcolm Byrne mentioned that an t-údarás is already fulfilling many of the aspects of what we seek to amend in this legislation. It might be helpful if the Minister of State could give us some examples of those for when we are considering what to do with the amendments. That would be great.

I second the amendment.

I welcome the Minister. I will be brief. I do not want to rehash any of the key events that have resulted in us dealing with this legislation here today. I echo the concern at the lack of speed with which pre-legislative scrutiny was carried out in respect of the Bill. The Data Protection Commissioner only received a finalised version of the general scheme of the Bill less than 24 hours before appearing before the justice committee as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process. I am uncomfortable with the speed a…

Apologies. We did not realise the sessions were running into each other, so Senator Higgins is on the way.

She can second when she walks into the Chamber in the next two minutes.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 8, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: “ “political purposes” means any of the following purposes, namely— (a) (i) to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the interests of a political party, a political group, a member of either House of the Oireachtas or a representative in the European Parliament, (ii) to present, directly or indirectly, the policies or a particular policy of a political party, a political group, a member of either House of the Oireachtas, a rep…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and apologise for the confusion. I thought the session was on at 4 p.m. so was not organised when we went straight into it. This amendment is the same as those we tabled on Committee Stage. At that time, the Minister said she would get some sort of legal briefing and feedback on that amendment. We had the Electoral Reform Bill then, so we kicked the same conversation to that Bill. It seems like no one wants to take responsibility for looking at the issue of political purposes wit…

Notwithstanding the Minister's response and referring to where the term "political end" comes from in the context of that case involving anti-abortion material, just because the term is defined elsewhere does not mean the term is not problematic and is not going to cause an issue in this legislation and in the wider context of anything else that may be deemed a "political end", so I will press the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I welcome these amendments, especially amendments Nos. 24, 25 and 26. We had a good discussion on Committee Stage about what exactly is meant by an educational institution or looking at it from too top-heavy a point of view. We need more grassroots, on-the-ground community involvement and consultation, recognising that co-operation is needed with community, local and sporting bodies as regards education and training initiatives. That way, it will not all fall within the education sector, which would have removed th…