Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 4, lines 23 and 24, to delete “as soon as may be” and substitute “immediately”.

The Minister will be familiar with the amendment because we discussed it on Committee Stage. As he is aware, the amendment seeks to replace the term "as soon as may be" with the word "immediately". When we discussed the issue on Committee Stage, the Minister said by way of explanation that "as soon as may be" was a more appropriate and standard turn of phrase and that it gave flexibility in the event that, for instance, a decision is taken and the Dáil is not sitting. However, if one goes back to the process that is envisaged, it would be most unusual and irregular for the Dáil not to be in session when these types of decisions are taken. In the event, "immediately" captures not only the immediacy of the need to communicate the consideration to the Dáil but it also has sufficient flexibility if it were to happen that the Dáil was not sitting that the Government would avail of the first immediate opportunity to communicate the decision to the Dáil.

The reason I have tabled the amendment again, having discussed it unsuccessfully on Committee Stage, is that the new legislative framework should not allow not just this Administration but any future Administration a flexibility that could by accident or design result in slippage and important decisions not being reported to the House with all due urgency and immediacy.

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