Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 6, to delete lines 4 to 9 and substitute the following:" "corruptly" includes acting in such a manner so as to secure an unlawful benefit, whether that benefit is personal or for another, and regardless as to whether such benefit is secured;".

The first amendment I put forward is to include a broader definition of the adverb "corruptly". The definition is satisfactory as it stands because it uses the word "includes". Sections 5 and 6 refer to an official or an individual corruptly doing something. People are aware that a court will use common sense to determine what "corruptly" means but we have gone out of our way to try to define it by stating it includes other meanings. The Minister's meaning in the Bill is satisfactory but I just sought to include a broader definition. I am not going to push the amendment to vote. I would be interested, however, if the Minister examined this again for Report Stage to ascertain whether a broader definition of the word "corruptly" could be included.

The second amendment seeks that, in page 7, we include in the definition of "Irish official" a person who is a councillor in a county council. Schedule 1, which refers to public bodies, defines a local authority. I would like to hear the Minister's view on whether he believes it should be expressly provided that an Irish official should also be a member of a local authority.