Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 11:

In page 31, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following:
“(3) The Agency must advise the Board, on an annual basis, of gifts accepted that are above the value of €500.”.

Section 39 states that the agency shall not accept a gift if the trusts or conditions attaching to it would be inconsistent with the functions or the obligations of the agency under this Act or any other enactment. However, there is no provision to cover the ethos or those type of issues. For example, if a drinks company decided it was willing to sponsor a certain component part of the agency, what provision ensures the board will have oversight of such a proposal? My colleagues and I did not wish our amendment to be too onerous. The limit for officials is €127 so I tried to include a limit. I have included the provision that the agency must advise the board every year of gifts accepted above the value of €500. In my view there needs to be some form of accountability for any gifts accepted by the agency. There needs to be some way of collating information and informing the board that these gifts have been accepted. I had this idea before the events of the past week but the past week has probably heightened my concern.

As the Minister said, this Bill tries to ensure good governance but there is a need to insert a provision about transparent information about the acceptance of gifts. I am not fixed on the value of the gifts. I was trying to find a figure that would not be too onerous and I thought that €500 was a fair figure.