Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take this opportunity to welcome the Minister to the meeting and wish her well in her brief. I am delighted that she has been elevated to Minister. It is a very important role and I have no doubt that she will do an outstanding job just as her predecessor did, Deputy Heather Humphreys.

This Bill is sensible as it adds an element of flexibility. The vast majority of what we are talking about here is not contentious. To my mind, it is right to have the capability to opt for 20 years rather then 30 years.

Deputy Tóibín has touched on the need to provide safeguards and I am happy that they already exist in the Bill, as outlined by the Minister. It is important that safeguards exist in the Department and all the way through to the Department of the Taoiseach and beyond. I think what we are doing in the Bill is the right thing.