They are working for the Departments.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is very loose and very weak and, unfortunately, it is not doing what it says on the tin or what it was meant to say on the tin. The Minister needs to get that opener for the tin and open it, because we know what happens to the fruit inside if it is left too long - it goes out of date. We are stale. Mention was made of a former Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, who I fought with tirelessly with regard to rural issues. However, I supported him with reg…

It is, of course. This is supposed to be a reforming Bill. I thank the Acting Chairman for his advice but I am, of course, referring to the Bill. I am referring to serious anomalies. There will be no lay chairperson, a major flaw. What does the Government have against laypeople? Is everyone not entitled to exercise his or her intellect and to respect, whereby he or she can bring another perspective to the table? No, the legal eagles want the power. The Attorney General, the highest legal officer in the land, will b…

And our amendment.

That is not right.

I ask the Minister of State to resume.

That is okay.

Deputy Nash thinks he is going to lecture us on employment law.

Bring back Deputy Kelly.

Can the Deputy see into the future?

The Acting Chairman is one of them. He is stepping down.

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an iar-Sheanadóir, Brian Ó Domhnaill, Mairéad, our Members and all the office staff who supported us in putting this motion together. We put it together in sincerity. We are consistent, if nothing else. We have opposed this unjust, punitive, anti-small man or woman, and anti-small family tax. It is totally discriminatory against people. I have great respect for the Minister of State but he made remarks about us doing this, that or the other. I will ask him one question. Cá bh…

-----Fine Gael. There is not one backbencher from-----

I see Deputy Canney, but there is not one backbencher and, look here, féach anseo, Sinn Féin is missing in action. God, their Members will all be here in ten minutes' time. I am sorry for invoking the name of God, but I cannot believe it. We then have some people telling us we should mine turf. I, or any of us, do not profess to know everything, but we know that turf is not mined. We get lectures from people in white vans about what we should do regarding liquefied natural gas and everything else. That is fair enou…

The Taoiseach is mixed up.

It is in the programme for Government.

Wards of court is a very important and emotive issue. There are 2,784 wards of court, with 18,504 minors involved in the wards of court system. There is a fund of €2.2 billion. We need urgent clarification from the Minister for Justice. There are families outside the gate today. One woman's husband is in his 80s, her adult son is paraplegic and they are down to €7 of the award they got a long time ago, fadó fadó, in the courts. It is an inadequate system which does not work. The Minister for Justice needs to deal w…

Granny will not go to jail, so.

There is a smoking gun somewhere and you cannot see it.

It is in the programme for Government.