Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

The Minister seems to be bringing us all around the House on this matter. He is going from 2009 to 1999 and 1997. We are well aware that when Deputy Howlin was the Minister in 1997 substantial changes were made, which were subsequently diluted and diminished by his successor, the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, when a whole range of provisions that would have facilitated electoral control were undermined at that time. The excuse of the then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, was that it was a cumbersome, bureaucratic exercise and we should not approach it. I welcome the ground the Minister has made up on the issue since he came to office approximately two years ago, but the issue has been before the House for a long time. The Minister spoke about it before he arrived in Cabinet.

I do not accept what the Minister said about legal clarities and technical difficulties. Two things in particular arise in regard to the issue. The amendment is not outside the scope of the Act and while the Minister accepts it is a good idea, he is saying "not just yet". I will be pressing the amendment.

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