Mr. Barry Ryan:

With regard to the budget, the Minister of State set out the figures. We framed those initial figures having considered what the budgets were for similar sized regulatory bodies that have been established in recent years. As the Minister of State said, it is to cover the establishment costs and then ongoing costs in its initial phase. However, if functions expand and are added to the commission's remit over time, a case would be made for additional resources.

As regards future-proofing, it has been flagged as well that this Bill is not the end of the process and that there are other functions, particularly relating to the commission having a role in the detailed oversight of electoral events and, indeed, the functions that are currently in the remit of the Standards in Public Office Commission. It has been flagged that over time those functions would come across to a commission. The point I am making is that there would be other legislative opportunities as well to build on the functions of the commission. Even if this legislative measure is not future-proofed to the extent that people would like to see, there would be other legislative opportunities in the future.