Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I commend the Minister's ability on this legislation, which is highly complex and not within the Minister's remit. I wish to refer to amendment No. 24 which deals with the issuing of fines. The Minister said it is against parliamentary practice to legislate for fining. However, this section designates some of the powers or modus operandi of designated bodies, and of the commission in regard to the management of the designated bodies. Why would it not be appropriate to back up existing practice, that is, a system which has fines, with a regulatory practice which also provides for fines? Solely having recourse to expelling somebody from a body is possibly too blunt an instrument. It is more appropriate and possibly equally effective to have a system for fines. Why would that not make sense in this case?

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