Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

It is quite interesting that a Member of the Seanad would wish to be excluded from being the Minister in this case. Article 28.7 of the Constitution provides that the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the member of the Government who is in charge of the Department of Finance must be Members of Dáil Éireann. The Constitution does not include a similar provision in the case of other Ministers and it would be inappropriate for this reference to the Minister for public expenditure to be included in the legislation. I do not propose to accept the amendment.