Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When the Minister of State did his constituency work before being taking up his portfolio, did he ever say, "this has gone crazy with conditions"? When a constituent came to him with pages and pages of conditions did he say, "If I am ever in the Department, I would make this proportionate"? Now is his opportunity to write into the Bill that the conditions must be proportionate to their effect. Every Deputy knows this country has gone mad on conditions. There is no limit to the conditions the person at the computer can write in. It is a temptation because it protects that person. No matter what one does, the officials can say “you are wrong because we put in the condition”. It makes day-to-day life practically impossible. We need some clause about proportionality. Will the Minister of State at least think about that between now and Report Stage when I will resubmit this amendment?