Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his colleagues for their attendance. I get the feeling going into the algebra of this Bill that perhaps we should take a clean slate approach to this and start defining exactly what these parliamentary activities allowances should be and build from that, from page 1, rather than trying to do sticky-plaster amendments or codicils to an existing framework. Questions arise about the status of a Member of the Oireachtas throughout the course of a Dáil or a Seanad, a Member's status can change and yet the work as a parliamentarian representing the whole people is very much there. To take away resources from doing that representative work for all the people is undermined by the way the architecture of these allowances - even though they are going to be renamed - will continue. That is not satisfactory. It is not transparent or clear. This should be capable of being presented on one page, in words and figures, which should then be stamped "Agreed". That is what is done in business. It makes sense and one would put a note down opposite-----