Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 12, line 21, after "duties" to insert the following:

"or for related or other purposes in accordance with generally accepted international practice".

This amendment relates to an issue that arose on Committee Stage. In his response to a parliamentary question, the Minister for Foreign Affairs confirmed that diplomatic passports are, as a matter of course, given to all previous holders of the office of Minister for Foreign Affairs. However, section 16 provides that diplomatic passports are to be used, as all Members are instructed, only in the course of one's duty, where one is travelling abroad on the instruction of the Dáil or in pursuance of committee business.

In this context, I am unclear as to the Minister's meaning. I see a contradiction in that most previous Ministers for Foreign Affairs are no longer Oireachtas Members. Amendment No. 23 proposes the insertion of "or for related or other purposes in accordance with generally accepted international practice" after "duties". This seems the only way to get around it. It is unacceptable that persons who are no longer elected Members have diplomatic passports while Members are told those passports cannot be used other than for official purposes. This amendment seems to be the only way to clarify the issue.

See this speech in context