Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I should have included it. Amendment No. 34 provides for a situation where doubt arises as to which Minister has responsibility for any particular function vested under this Act. The Deputy probably raised this matter, which is not unique. While I do not expect there to be any doubt, in the event of doubt arising about a particular function being the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform or the Minister for Finance, the Taoiseach shall make that determination. There is a similar provision in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939 which is simply replicated here and which deals with the issue of a doubt about functionality.

If I recall correctly, the position of Minister for Supplies was created during the war, before the Acting Chairman's time. There was doubt about the authority of the Minister for Supplies to carry out a function and to decide whether it was his function or not, so it was left to the Taoiseach to make that determination. This is simply carrying that through. It is a belt and braces job, as the Deputy will appreciate.

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