Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that not everyone was here when I spoke earlier. I will not go back over the whole speech. I thank the Members who have introduced the Bill. I accept that they are interested in the area. There is always the suggestion, as Deputy Pringle said, that the Government does not want this and we will put it on the long finger. Opposition Deputies always assume that we do not want things even though we have a duty to bring forward proper legislation. Just because the Independents 4 Change put something in a Bill does not make it absolutely right. It does not mean that we always oppose it either.

The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, and the Department are committed to reform. That process of change started at the end of 2017 and early 2018 before the Bill was introduced. I am sure the Bill Deputy Joan Collins introduced in July had an influence on some of the changes that happened in December. However, she should accept that the Minister had started a process to review this area and make changes. The Department has form in this. It introduced a massive piece of work - I think about ten years of work - in the Companies Act 2014. Deputy Kelleher was probably a Minister of State in the Department at the time it started and it was followed through in our time in government. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is committed to reform. The assumption that is it always against reform or change is not always true and it is not always fair to say that. There is a process it needs to go through and it started some time ago. It is not being long-fingered. The intention is to introduce it this year.

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