Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps I might comment on that because it is something Deputy McConalogue and I discussed. One could potentially find a charge on the Exchequer in almost every amendment one wanted to put down. For instance, even in discussing this Bill when we were looking at the make-up of the boards and we wished to change it from 18 to 20, it was ruled out of order because it was a potential charge on the Exchequer. There was no scope to even change the make-up of the boards. There was no scope to make amendments. Including even the particular amendment that Deputy McConalogue has put down, with every amendment that one could potentially put down the Minister could probably find a way of saying it involves a charge to the Exchequer.

It is very frustrating because many of the amendments that my party put down were ones which at least merited discussion. For instance, we had valid reasons for increasing representation on the boards from 18 to 20 because we wanted a wider spread of persons sitting on the ETBs, yet these were ruled out of order because they involve a potential charge on the Exchequer. It may be in Standing Orders but if that is the case, then Standing Orders need to be changed.