Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy that it is important that a regulatory body be adequately resourced to coincide with any necessary legislative provision that gives it additional powers. My Department and the CCPC recognise that significant adequate additional resources will be required to implement the new legislation. In the past two budgets alone, the CCPC has received an increase of over 30%. It currently has 146 staff and intends to increase this to more than 200 by the end of this year. If the CCPC assessment is that additional funding is required based on the structures required under this Bill, it can submit an increased Estimate bid as part of the budget 2023 negotiations. This bid is subject to agreement by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment and, if approved, will be incorporated into the overall departmental Estimates package, which will be the subject of negotiation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for budget 2023. The Deputy's amendments would set an unusual departure from that process whereby past spending would have to be accounted for rather than projected spending. Accounting for projected spending is the norm. While I thank the Deputy for the proposal, I am unable to accept these amendments.

If the budgets had been based on past performance in 2017 and 2018, the commission would not have received the additional 30% in budgets 2021 and 2022. The best way is for the CCPC to come forward in advance of the budgetary process and make a business case for the funding it needs to carry out its work. Recognising that this Bill was coming and to assist the CCPC in doing the necessary work and restructuring, we have made funding available in the past two years.