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

We are on the first day of a new departure in the Irish parliamentary system. Since 1922, there has never been a minority Government to the degree we have now. If one looks at what happens in the US Congress, one will see that Bills carry the names of the proposers quite frequently. That gives one an insight into the process. Very often it is across the aisle. A Democrat and a Republican get together, see that there is an issue of concern and seek to address it by way of amending legislation. They then try to build a majority behind the Bill. They have their own independent office as we will have here shortly, I presume, for financial matters and they have their own legal office. They have the resources without going back to Government Departments to enact legislation. What will we do? This morning, we are co-operating fully with the committee. We analysed the Bill on Second Stage. This morning, I am recording the primary concerns my officials have about the Bill. I am also, however, saying that if there continues to be a majority in favour of this approach after the committee has heard various witnesses and taken the advice of the ECB and Central Bank, we will work with it if the members require amendments. I reserve the right to put down amendments myself. I do not know whether I have the right within Standing Orders to do so or whether we will put the amendments down through members of Fine Gael.

I am not too sure how this is going to proceed or where it is going to land. The general intention, however, is to use the resources of the Department of Finance to remove any faults we perceive in the legislation. Of course, we will have to do that with the consent of the majority of the members of the committee. I acknowledge that there is a new process. It is a new world and a new departure, but my primary concern is to legislate to make things better rather than to make things worse by accident or mistake. I will fulfil that role. I will not be taking a primary role in it. It is Deputy McGrath's Bill and he is entitled to take the primary role.