Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with amendment No. 8. It is appropriate that this report, which is a review of the performance of the registration body, should be provided to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I can accept amendment No 8.

I must oppose amendment No. 9, which proposes that the registration body may only make rules following consultation with the Minister and the Oireachtas. The Bill provides that the board and the appeals committee will be independent of the registration body. Schedule 2 sets out detailed procedures and rules for the operation of the board and appeals committee and these cannot be amended by the registration body. Parts 2, 5 and 6 of the Bill set out rules and procedures for the operation of the registration body. Again, these cannot be amended by the registration body. The registration body cannot make rules that are contrary to the statutory functions as outlined in the Bill. The only rules that the registration body can make are procedural and administrative in nature and as I have outlined. They cannot be outside the statutory provisions of the Bill. This amendment seeks to have the registration body consult with the Minister and the Oireachtas on the making of such administrative rules. This is not required, as the registration body is circumscribed by the provisions of the Bill.

Amendment No. 10 seeks to require the body to furnish its annual report to the Oireachtas committee and amendment No. 12 requires the registration body to seek the views of the relevant Oireachtas committee on that annual report. The report is required to be laid before the Oireachtas and published on a website. As such, it will be available to the committee. Any Oireachtas committee can provide its views on such a report as it requires.

Regarding the query on section 18(1), this relates to the normal administrative procedures if the body needs assistance in preparing its annual report or the like.