Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will ask the question because I only have one more opportunity to speak. If the Minister is saying An Bord Pleanála, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the EPA do not need to be listed because their legal standing is captured by the parent Department, that is good. I just do not know why they are not listed if that is not the case. Will the Minister clarify why the NTMA, etc. had to be listed separately and other organisations did not?

In regard to the Schedule, the Minister mentioned that these are exempted communications under the meaning of section 5(4)(m) which refers to communications between some of these bodies and the public officials serving in the Minister's Department in the ordinary course of business of the body corporate. They are exempted from that as well but are the rest of their activities exempted? To be clear, is the Minister saying that other than that exemption for corporate activities in section 5(4)(m), everything else relating to CIE contacting its parent Department will now be included in lobbying? If CIE wants to make a point to a Minister, other than on a corporate matter, for example, a business or a commercial matter, will that be captured under the legislation? If it is, the legislation is a bit broader than the impression I have been given, but I do not know yet.

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