Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I accept the Minister's response but policy should always be vested in the Minister. We have, from time to time, expressed our frustration in this House at the lack of accountability of the Minister to the House. It would have been helpful to insert the amendment to tighten up Parliament's supervision of the operation of an agency such as NORA, which, once it is established, will be at a remove from the Minister and the Houses of the Oireachtas. The agency may engage in activities which change policy without reference to the Minister or the Houses of the Oireachtas but since we discussed this issue ad nauseam during the course of this debate I will not press the amendment.

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