James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 18:

In page 7, subsection (5), line 46, after "may" to insert "by order".

It is important that we issue a reminder that we live in a democracy. As this section would empower the Fianna Fáil director of elections to give instructions to returning officers, in the interest of retaining trust in the system those instructions should be made by way of ministerial order. An earlier amendment of mine proposed that a draft of that order be required to be laid before the Houses for approval. This amendment is similar to that earlier one and I ask the Minister of State to accept it.