Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 4, line 7, after “Finance” to insert “and subject to approval by vote of Dáil Éireann”.

The amendment is designed to introduce accountability to the Bill given it is seriously lacking, in fact non-existent, in the original draft. Thus far, the detail is lacking. It is taxpayers' money but yet again a blank cheque is being handed over to a private company. This will happen over a number of years and we are pretty much saying the company can use as much taxpayers' money as it sees fit. Given all of that, it is only right that the Dáil should have oversight and approval of exactly what the decision is going to be and what moneys are spent. There are no checks and balances at all, no accountability and nothing to stop spiralling charges or spurious spending. Perhaps the Minister will contradict what I am saying but, to my mind, those questions have not been answered satisfactorily.

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