Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I am far from happy with the Bill in its entirety. The complexity the Minister has had to address is that contained in a Bill that was drafted to function in a particular way when we had the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board. As that is being amended, effectively, we have a paper tiger, a dormant accounts board, which has no real function. Given that it has no real function we should not get too worried on this side to whom it reports. On the other hand it is not good practice to have boards, the role of which has become meaningless. To move from the National Treasury Management Agency, to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Board, to the Dormant Accounts Board into Departments and so on is messy. While the new board has no function in the area of disbursement the Minister made great play on Committee Stage in terms of the annual report. The Minister made great play on Committee Stage about the annual report. I am far from happy with the Bill. I note the arguments made by the Minister. The precedents he has quoted are not comparable. I suggest the Pensions Board and the Food Safety Board have different functions. When this board does nothing except come up with plans and a report, why should it be necessary for the chairperson to report anywhere? I presume there is nothing preventing a committee of this House, in this instance the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, calling this new board to account. If this is the case I am prepared to withdraw the amendment.

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