Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

For the information of the House, in addition to what we have done by means of the amendments that have been agreed, it will be necessary to change the title of the Minister as it appears in the Bill. This can only happen by means of legislation introduced at a later date. The wording used in the Bill is "the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht". This reflects the historic title of the Minister with responsibility for heritage. Since the Bill was last before the Dáil, however, the title of that Minister has changed and the function for heritage has been transferred to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Under Oireachtas rules for a Bill at this Stage, the title cannot be changed by amendment or by clerk's correction. The proposal is to pass the Bill, as it currently stands, and to amend it via legislation to be introduced at a later date. The amendment would change the title of the Minister from "Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht" to "Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage" in the Bill and remove altogether a reference to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his patience with us and I thank all of the Deputies for their co-operation.

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