Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I appreciate that but the question is how the Government makes that determination. What criteria does the Government use in making that decision? Does it look at the opportunity cost forgone in respect of licences? What is the process? If I introduce legislation about health or education and I am told that it requires a money message because there is a charge on the Exchequer, whether a first order charge or an incidental charge, if I am the proposer of the legislation, surely I am entitled to know exactly what the Government intends to do with the legislation that I have drafted, as per Deputy Smith's contention, and how the Government intends to deliver the money message? What is the process and mechanism that the Government must now follow to decide on a money message? If that question cannot be answered, then I would contend that there has been a subversion of the democratic process here.