Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is nothing the Minister of State has said either here or on Committee Stage that convinces me otherwise. In a way, amendments Nos. 3 and 4 are similar but different at the same time. The Minister of State made a point and I imagine he will respond to Deputy Murphy on the question he posed in terms of the Dáil and Seanad being dissolved at the same time. The Minister of State has said it is not an issue in terms of the Oireachtas changing its mind. He said it is not a question of certainty about that, but it would be an issue if the two Houses were dissolved at the same time. However, my amendment does not deal with that scenario. Deputy Murphy's amendment does reference approval by Seanad Éireann, but my amendment does not. My amendment basically refers to the approval of the Oireachtas or the Minister, in the case where Article 28.11.2o of the Constitution applies, in other words, when the Houses are dissolved. The main issue the Minister of State has articulated does not stand and the Minister of State should accept amendment No. 4.

I will comment on the other amendments in this group. Amendment No. 5 is a re-phrasing of my amendment that was accepted on Committee Stage. That is acceptable to me and I am pleased the Minister of State accepted it at the time.

Amendment No. 6 is not required given the safeguards we have put in place through the amendments I have already tabled that have been passed. The power to ensure any amendment to the loan is annulled and to prevent the fund being increased now rests with the Houses of the Oireachtas.

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