Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

The Minister missed the point. I am pleased he has a personal rule of thumb and that his record is such that public money is being distributed throughout the country under his remit in an equitable way but what he is legislating for will open the door for those who follow him and for others who do not have that rule of thumb. The Bill allows for the ability of individual Ministers to act in a discretionary way. If the Minister was interested in applying his principles when public money is used, he would have them enshrined in legislation. That is what the Opposition is arguing about.

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