Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

This matter comes back to the fundamental issue which has been a background to many of the amendments put down by Deputy Durkan, and one or two of those which I put down myself with regard to this Bill and the NORA Bill. Ministers can act to sell shares in a State body as long as they have the permission of the Minister for Finance.

My original thought was if we left out the reference to the Minister for Finance, I believed that if the matter was not referred to the Minister for Finance, the matter would have to be returned to the House for further legislation. I am just looking at a note I made in submitting the amendment. That would mean this House would have to be involved. That was what I was trying to achieve. I was hoping the Minister would have to come back one more time with it, rather than the Minister making the decision about the sale of a semi-State body, for example, without our permission. That is the background, and it is a significant amendment.

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