Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

These are purely technical drafting amendments. Amendments Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, relate to the general provisions of section 3 concerning the making of regulations and orders that must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, which will have the option to pass a resolution annulling a regulation or order. These are drafting amendments which involve many cross-references in order to ensure that the provisions of section 3 will apply in respect of all relevant provisions under which the licensing authority or the Minister will have powers to make regulations and orders. Amendment No. 6 relates to section 6, which provides for the Minister to transfer licensing responsibilities from the Garda Síochána to the NTA. An order under section 6 will now be subject to the requirement in section 3 and will, therefore, have to be laid before the Houses.

Amendments Nos. 15 to 19, inclusive, provide greater clarity concerning the process and procedure for decisions of the licensing authority to refuse to grant an application or to suspend or revoke a licence and for appeals and representations under section 13. The purpose of these amendments is to ensure legal clarity. Amendments Nos. 2, 4, 30 to 33, inclusive, and 41 to 45, inclusive, provide minor clarifications and are drafting amendments.