Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister. I also thank Deputies Ó Snodaigh and Byrne for doing so much work on the Bill beforehand.

I have come to the House to offer a welcome and support. I have not yet had the opportunity to see the details of the general scheme but, taking the Government at its word, it certainly seems like what the Minister has done in the first number of months in his role is positive in terms of steps towards accountability and transparency.

From where I sit, I see both sides, and ultimately all sides, of the House trying to get to the same destination but maybe looking at the issue in different ways in terms of the pathway to reach that destination. I see merits in both pathways. If the Minister could provide Members with details of the general scheme, that would be very relevant. We want to avoid a situation similar to the one that came to pass last year arising again.

Like Deputy Byrne, I sit on the Committee of Public Accounts. We see the importance of that committee as the mechanism for achieving real accountability for the expenditure of public funds.

I understand the merits of what the Minister said about not giving the Bill a Second Reading and maybe with more detail, we could support that position. I commend the Deputies and Sinn Féin.

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