Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 19, to delete lines 26 to 44, and in page 20, to delete lines 1 to 13.

This amendment seeks to delete: “The Chairperson and the Chief Executive shall not be required to give account before a Committee for any matter which is or has been or may at a future time be the subject of proceedings before a court or tribunal in the State.” This is breathtaking in its all-inclusiveness. As I recently outlined, the extent of what the agency is involved with is very great indeed. This legislation, despite our objection, envisages the joining up of our publicly owned pension funds with private capital and private capitalists in joint ventures that the Government favours. Therefore, there is potential for considerable litigation in any one of the many areas included in the Bill, let alone in respect of other responsibilities of the agency. I question the inclusion of all-encompassing wording allowing the chairperson and chief executive to refuse to appear before a committee of the elected representatives of Dáil Éireann regarding an issue that was or might be the subject of proceedings before a court or tribunal. How does one know what may be the subject of a tribunal? The provision is incredibly all-inclusive and we object to it.

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