Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This has been an anomaly in Committee Stage and Report Stage debates. If a member of the Opposition proposes an interesting and valid amendment, which is fully costed and gives tax relief, but cannot support it with an accompanying amendment that raises the yield foregone, then it looks kind of lopsided. I think it runs from the constitutional provisions on the Minister for Finance being responsible for introducing budgets and so on. I do not think it is possible for a motion in the Dáil to overrule that. The Chairman has been very tolerant and has allowed a number of Deputies to say how they would fund proposals, even though the key amendment is out of order.