Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 10, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“(2) Every direction made under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the direction is passed by either such House within the next 21 days on which that House has sat after the direction is laid before it, the direction shall be annulled accordingly.”.

This amendment relates to directions proposed under the Bill and there are many references to directions throughout the legislation. This amendment requires that directions be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The same procedures would then apply to directions as to an order under the Act. Section 4 deals with every order being laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Houses having the power to annul such orders but there is no such provision for direction, despite many references to directions throughout the Bill. Directions by a Minister should be subject to the same level of oversight, procedure and transparency as an order, given the weight directions are accorded in the Bill.