Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This, presumably, comes from the Deputy's experience as a Minister when he may not have been available to sign all the documentation to appoint an authorised officer. Subsection 37(3) states:

A person with whom the Minister enters into a service agreement under section 74 may for the purposes of enforcing this Act, appoint in writing, with the consent of the Minister, such persons as he or she considers appropriate to be authorised officers for the purpose of all or any of the functions that the person may exercise under the service agreement.

Deputy Ó Cuív is proposing that not only the Minister but someone authorised by the Minister could approve "such persons as he or she considers appropriate to be authorised officers", and so on. I am not sure of the thinking behind this proposal. It would be helpful to know it. I am not, necessarily, for or against the amendment. The recommendation is that I should not accept it, but I do not have strong feelings on it.