Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Ní aontaím leis an mBille ach tá sé níos fearr anois ná mar a bhí sé nuair a tugadh isteach é. Dá bhféadfaí déileáil leis an gceist bhunúsach a bhíá plé againn le trí cheathrú uair an chloig tá gach seans go bhféadfaimís a bheith ar aon aigne.

I thank the Minister for agreeing to the somewhat unorthodox procedural move of recommitting amendments to Committee Stage. It is not often Ministers are that agreeable. As a result we managed to debate the nub of the Bill in a way that we never got around to before the summer and we are all the better for that.

The Bill is better because of the Minister's amendments. It is possible to deal with the major outstanding concern that we on this side of the House have in a way which does not involve any climb-down by the Minister on what he believes to be the correct procedure. The criteria he set out for how bodies funded by the State working in local communities should operate are ones to which we would and should all adhere. However, as long as the legislation remains as it is, it will follow the path of every other fund. The social insurance fund has been raided by various Governments, even though it is meant to be for a very specific purpose. Every fund, including the national lottery, gets raided unless there are firm and unshakeable legal criteria protecting it. It is the nature of government to raid every available fund. That is not a judgment on any political party. The fundamental issue is the capacity of Government to change or ignore the rules, but that is a contentious issue which we will not debate now.

I thank the Minister for his willingness to put time into the discussion and to listen even though he does not agree with us. I am glad to see his energies are back to full scale judging by his enthusiasm on this occasion.