Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 12:

In page 18, subsection (7), line 32, to delete "the Chairperson of".

It is strange that the Minister said the consultative group should report to the chairperson of the agency rather than to the agency in full. Is it linked to the fact that the chairperson has not been designated initially by the Minister? Is there some reason for pre-examination of the report prior to it going to the agency in full? There is an element of confinement if the original report is sent solely to the chairperson. If reports are sent to a body, they should be sent to all the members who have equal status. The normal procedure would be to present it to the chairperson for distribution to each member. Is it significant that the report will be sent to the chairperson of the agency at such times as it considers appropriate? There is an element of restriction in this regard and I hope it will be changed. The amendment seeks to remove the element of restriction and include the agency as a whole rather than just the chairperson.