Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I am glad the Minister is here to hear my contribution and I know he will take note of what every Member says.

Another balance needs to be struck in the context of public, private partnerships. We must be careful that the private element of those potential partnerships does not piggy-back on the public body, with the latter pushing through developments under the section 10 arrangements which will simply facilitate the private developer. This could happen in the case of decentralisation projects. We must be careful that we strike the right balance, particularly in the context of such once-off projects. If one decentralises a Department to Mullingar, Tullamore, Arklow or wherever, it is a once-off project. For that reason, we must ensure that it is done properly and that the private element is not piggy-backing on the local authority. I am not sure whether those types of arrangements could go through under this Bill and perhaps the Minister will clarify that matter in due course. I see that he is shaking his head and look forward to his clarification——

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