Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)

All Opposition parties submitted amendments regarding the 2% charge. In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, he accepted the spirit of these amendments and has made substantial modifications to the 2% charge which are very acceptable.

I find it personally hurtful that the Minister of State has accused me of playing politics. I am not. I believe in anything that will improve the flow of credit to business. I want the scheme to go through as quickly as possible. I could just as easily claim Members on the other side of the House were playing politics when they promised the scheme 37 or 38 times in the course of the last 15 months, but I will leave that matter to one side.

The Minister of State made an interesting observation in his reply to me. He said I, as a former Cabinet Minister, knew how the game was played. I thought this was to be a new era. I thought the old games and systems were to be consigned to oblivion, that we were entering a brave new world of openness and transparency and that we were going to do things differently. Was that not the mantra?

We can, of course, debate the issue after the event. However, we should be given the opportunity to discuss the details. The Minister is aware that relevant details about personal guarantees, types of schemes, upper and lower limits for loans and this, that and the other are not included in the Bill. It is an enabling Bill and very general. Before the meat of it comes into operation, people of all persuasions who are represented on the committee should discuss it. They might come up with a couple of good ideas that would force the Minister to change his mind on a few issues, but if that is not to happen, so be it.

The Bills Office, in its wisdom, has ruled my amendment about the 60 day deadline out of order on the basis that it would impose a charge on the Exchequer. That does not prevent the Government from making the amendment. It can impose whatever charge it wishes, real or imaginary, on the Exchequer. The Minister of State said August was the target date. I welcome that announcement as August is within 60 days of the present. It is no harm to put a constraint on oneself occasionally. The Government is entitled, with the full permission of the Bills Office, to write the 60 day limit into the Bill, if it wishes. I will not press the amendment, as I welcome the announcement that August is the target date.

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