With regard to the inclusion of the Minister in discussions on the period for which a joint investigation team should operate, as was explained on Committee Stage, the Minister is a competent authority for the purposes of the Bill to facilitate the transmission and receipt of requests to and from member states that do not have provision in domestic legislation to permit direct transmission of requests between judicial authorities and police forces of a foreign state. The Garda Commissioner has responsibility for the establishment and operation of joint investigation teams. The Minister does not have a role to play in the operational aspects of a team's work. The Commissioner will be answerable in terms of the strategic goal in the Garda policing plan concerning managing finance to achieve best value for money. Not only would the amendment not add anything, it would also serve to impose unnecessary restrictions and not take account of the fact that accountability also comes into play in the use of resources. I do not propose to accept it.