Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

While I understand Senator Kelly's point, these regulations must be laid before the Houses for approval in the first instance, so they are approved by the Houses. That is the key point set out in the legislation. The Senator seeks to amend this provision to provide some kind of power for the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service. However the requirement of the Minister to consult another Minister is a simple requirement that if there is a relevant other Minister, the Minister for Finance should consult him or her. Often legislation specifies that one cannot incur funds or recruit staff without the sanction of the Minister for Finance. It is a matter pertaining to the executive branch of Government and one cannot mix that up with the legislative branch.