Alan Kelly (Labour)

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 2, subsection (3)(a), lines 29 and 30, to delete "any other Minister of the Government" and substitute the following:

"the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance and the Public Service and any other person or body".

The Minister is given specific powers in section 5 that during the two-year period he can make regulations he feels necessary and expedite them in any way possible to execute this Act. Under this amendment we propose that instead of the Minister's feeling it is appropriate to bring any considerations to the attention of Ministers in Government, he should bring them to the attention of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service or any other body, as necessary. Given the wide-ranging nature of the legislation, that would be the most accountable way of bringing it to the Oireachtas so it could discuss the changes necessary from the Minister in the Houses with the people on this committee. It would be one way of ensuring any changes were discussed properly and with everyone across the Houses to ensure the Act was being interpreted and implemented in a good fashion.