Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Yes. When the former Minister made an application to the officials in the Department of Finance, it became obvious to them that there is an anomaly in the system as it relates to Ministers, as opposed to public and civil servants. The departmental officials recommended to the Minister for Finance that the anomaly should be rectified. The recommendation did not come from the Minister for Finance. The former Minister did not make representations to the Minister for Finance in his own case — that is a fact.

I would like to speak about the subject of transparency as it relates to the issue that has arisen. It is clearly stated in the supplementary information that accompanies the Bill that this is the issue in question. When this issue was being dealt with in the Dáil, Deputy Burton asked whether it applies——