David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to make just one other point and then, unfortunately, I must run. Deputy Ó Cuív is right. He has been talking about the planning legislation before the Houses at the moment, and using it as a vehicle to make changes. He is also right, as I said myself last week, about the proposal to establish a national independent Traveller accommodation agency. It will have to be set up by primary legislation for it to have teeth. If we just set up a talking shop, it will not have any teeth. Perhaps one way to do that would be to suggest an amendment to the Bill that is going through at the moment. It could be a short amendment. It might be possible for the clerk to the committee to get advice from the legal services in the Houses to draft a short amendment that the committee could put forward, mandating the Minister to establish an agency. Once it is done under primary legislation, the agency would have authority and power and it can make decisions.