Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Minerals Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage

1:30 pm

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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I support the amendment but I use this opportunity to highlight the following. When we change Governments, Departments are changed all over the place. The current arrangement is very fractured. There are Ministers with several different pieces in their titles after the most recent change. Departments have been chopped and changed to such an extent that it is creating administrative difficulties. Last week, it created difficulties again during Question Time in the Dáil in respect of the hot potato of An Post. I ask the Minister of State to take that point back to his line Minister, the Cabinet and departmental officials. I can see how one might change "energy" to "climate action" from one Government to the next. I can see the sense in that because that is where things are at now. However, when one starts moving big sections of one Department to another, carving Departments up and appointing Ministers across several briefs, it is a headache from a Government, Opposition and, I am sure, Civil Service point of view. It does not help the functioning of Government or the Dáil. While I say that in a helpful way, I will support the amendment. The Minister of State might just take the point back.