Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator O'Brien's amendment was one worth considering and, in the interest of debating the legislation properly, we welcomed it. At the end of the day, however, we had to design the scheme in accordance with the regulations which are now being applied by the European Commission and they narrow the intended scope of the scheme. We would wish it had been broader but in my experience, it is better to introduce the scheme with the full support of the Commission and nuance it later on. I can commit to the Senator that, if we are all alive and well and back in government, we will look at it again.