Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is why the argument being made now is relevant. We do not know what the circumstances or the environment will be, or who will carry out this review in two years time. It may be helpful for the Minister of State at least to put on the record his thinking on what type of review he envisages. Having put forward an amendment, he must have some arguments to sustain it. It might be helpful to the House to hear them in the context of Senator Zappone's amendment.

Senator Zappone may not like me for saying this, but, generally speaking, governments tend not to go into specifics when it comes to proposals of this nature. They like to leave things open-ended and to take the view that a review means a review. Senator Zappone has put forward important arguments with a specific focus on international benchmarking. Senator Power raised the question, and I agree with her, of who is to know what best practice will be in two years time in the other countries that have existing legislation which might be deemed helpful to the review. This is why I believe it is important for us to seek reassurance and for the Minister of State to assuage those of us who have put forward the amendment by setting out the thinking of the Government in respect of the criteria that will be laid down for the review, and whether the Government accepts in principle the argument that Senator Zappone has put forward.