Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 12, after line 30, to insert "No. 24 Anglo Irish Bank Ltd.".

I raised this issue on Committee Stage along with the matter - about which the Minister of State was not happy either - of the consultancy fees being paid on behalf of the State bank and other banks supported by the State which may be taken over yet. I was not happy with the answer the Minister of State gave on why Anglo Irish Bank is omitted from the Schedule. It seems that provision could be made under section 1(g) if it were taken to its fullest extent. It refers to a body other than a body specified or referred to in the schedule. Anglo Irish Bank could well become part of the Civil Service. I tabled the amendment to ensure there would be no ambiguity. Are other semi-State bodies excluded from the Schedule? I could not think of any but I presume that at this stage Anglo Irish Bank is a fully fledged semi-State body, unless it is not fully established as a semi-State body under some of the Acts passed over the years. If it has been fully established as a semi-State I am sure it should be included. Perhaps its omission was a typing error. On that basis I hope the Minister of State will clarify the position and accept the amendment if it is a semi-State body.

The Minister for Finance indicated he would speak with the semi-State bodies about competitiveness, which concerns wages and wage cuts. According to the Bill the list of semi-State bodies does not include Anglo Irish Bank and that discussion would not include it. The Minister of State told us Anglo Irish Bank is not part of the Civil Service and does not fall into the remit of Civil Service wage cuts or pensions. There is much ambiguity with regard to this in the Bill and I hope the Minister of State accepts the amendment.