Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This grouping is problematic. Amendments Nos. 54, 67 and 73 are fine, as has been said. They concern the consultation with the local representatives in the area and are purely technical changes to improve the Bill. However, amendments Nos. 44 and 45 and probably amendments Nos. 47 and 48 in the next grouping all deal with the health issue, and the problem is precisely as Deputy Broughan has said. We made the points the last day we were here to discuss the Bill, and I will not repeat them. There is a perception that by our specifying this statutory instrument, we are in effect not updating or improving the situation, as the Minister said. The belief is rather that we are actually introducing a delay into the process, that rather than the automatic updating, which would come through EU Regulation No. 598, by specifying this statutory instrument there will be a delay and we will have to change the statutory instrument to bring us up to date with EU Regulation No. 598. I think we need the groupings changed because there are a number of amendments concerning health matters that are dependent on one another. Could we get some guidance on this?

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