Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Section 16 deals with the disclosure of interests, which is becoming standardised. It never used to be included in Bills such as this. I do not have major objections to it, except for section 16(3), which states:

A person shall not be regarded as having a beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter by reason only that he or she or any company or other body or person mentioned in subsection (2) has an interest which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a person in considering or discussing, or in voting on, any question in respect of the matter or in performing any function in relation to the matter.

I would prefer an objective test to the quasi-subjective judgment of the authority. I know this is not easy, and I do not have a problem with the concept. However, it is the type of ambiguity which leaves open the real possibility of considerable conflict if somebody has to make a judgment on whether an interest was minor or major.

When the Minister was in the House yesterday, I stated I would not mention greyhounds and I will not mention them today either. However, suggestions were made that conflicts of interest arose in that controversy. The person about whom it was suggested was quite dismissive. He believed the interest was remote or insignificant. Many other people would not agree with him. I only use it as an example. If an objective test were not to be included, at least the judgment should be made by somebody outside the loop of the authority.