Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

This is rather novel. It is broadly similar to what the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, did in regard to the Nursing Home Support Bill 2008 and it is important. I am not sure if the Minister was in the Chamber but I had the opportunity last week or the week before to refer to this issue of a Minister changing the law by way of regulation rather than primary legislation. I have a concern about it and wish to voice once again my concern about the manner in which changes to our laws are being made by way of regulation without appropriate or adequate scrutiny and debate.

I note this is similar to the mechanism contained in the Nursing Homes Support Bill 2008 and I look forward to monitoring it and seeing how it works. I also see a role of Oireachtas committees in this and perhaps the draft regulations could be referred to an Oireachtas committee for some form of agreement prior to being finally approved.

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