Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct in that there are regulations that are not specifically mentioned in the legislation. We are in very difficult and unusual times and things are changing, meaning new regulations must be made. We hope things will get better and that penal provisions can be removed. If we had to put every single proposed provision in legislation, it would mean that at every stage we would have to go through this type of process in order to introduce new legislation. This Bill enables me, as Minister and working with the Minister for Health and other relevant Ministers, to ensure any changes in regulations can be made without having to go through the legislative process. This applies not just where there may be new regulations but where we remove regulations specifically applying to this. I hope we can remove many penal provisions sooner rather than later. It is important to acknowledge we are in a very unusual position as changes occur quickly and we are trying to respond to a global health pandemic. In doing so sometimes decisions would have to be made quickly. If we had to pass legislation every time that is the case, we would be precluded from doing a lot. If we removed section 13 from the legislation, it would essentially reduce the Bill to being unworkable.

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