Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom rá go bhfuil an tAire sásta, ar a laghad, teacht isteach agus an argóint a dhéanamh ó gach uile thaobh. Bhí sé sásta é a dhéanamh inniu agus an lá eile nuair a bhí muid á phlé seo. Tá muidinne ar an taobh seo go bunúsach in éadan an Bhille ó thús go deireadh. Cé go bhfuil gach iarracht déanta ag an Aire a dhearcadh féin a thabhairt dúinn, caithfidh muid a rá nach bhfuil sé fírinneach agus dáiríre. Mar sin féin, chímid go bhfuil féidearthachtaí, má théann an Bille seo fríd, nach mbeadh an t-airgead roinnte san am atá amach romhainn mar ba cheart dó a bheith, mura raibh sé sin ar intinn nuair a tugadh an bord isteach den chéad uair roinnt blianta ó shin. Mar sin, níl muid sásta leis an Bhille, agus beidh muid ag vótáil ina éadan go hiomlán.

I appreciate the Minister tried to explain his position to the House on both Committee and Report Stages. I have no grounds to doubt the Minister's firéantacht. My party has opposed at all Stages the basic principle of this Bill which is taking the power away from an independent board which was carrying out its work to everyone's satisfaction since its establishment a number of years ago. This board is being disbanded and the powers of disbursement will return to the Department and will be politicised. Whether the Minister wishes to couch it in those terms or not, that is how it will be perceived by the general public. If anyone wants any money from the dormant accounts fund in future, there is no point in going to the new board. It would be more advisable to go to the Minister's clinic with cap in hand to ask for a grant for a project. It has been my experience that the Minister responds positively to a case when it is well made——

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