Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That issue is carefully formulated in terms of ensuring the independence of the body. While I take the point the Senator makes, it is very carefully formulated as drafted.

On Senator Barrett's points, I note that the provision is a basic three-month benchmark. Of course, the authority will be able to call extra meetings when it gets up and running and deals with the scale of work involved and considers that necessary. It is not obligatory that the meetings only be held every three months. I have no doubt that sub-committees will be formed as well. There will be a great deal of ongoing work, but I do not want an obligation regarding meetings which has people tied up with those as opposed to getting on with the work. The board will determine its way of working and number of meetings. The three-month benchmark is important, but I would not want to prescribe monthly meetings. There is a great deal of work to do and I will leave it to the board to decide how best to approach it.

In this day of modern communications and meetings technology, the Senator's second amendment in the grouping would remove the new authority's ability to meet by teleconferencing or video conferencing where it was considered appropriate. I would not want to remove that and I will not accept the amendments.