Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response is disappointing. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has launched with great fanfare a new consultation document on openness and transparency. Talk of open engagement means nothing and rings hollow. I want the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and his officials to be part of an independent review. Ministers will not stand up and talk about having a review. The plan is the Minister's baby and his political reputation rests on it.The Minister is happy to do that and he knows it. That is fair enough. It is the Minister's commitment and it is the Minister's Rebuilding Ireland programme. It is about his vision for himself in terms of his political station at this point in time. He has a lot hinging on this. Of course the Minister is not going to feel that way. In a healthy democracy, a Minister might say that he or she favours an independent review of himself or herself and of his or her officials. I accept that the Minister feels the way he feels. I reserve the right to table the amendment at the next stage. The Minister is shaking his head and he will have the same old response at that stage. Let us not start with talk of new politics again, because this is not new politics.

I wish to be helpful and I wish to move on, because we are going to be here for a long time dealing with this. The Bill will not be passed next week at the rate we are going. I withdraw the amendment at this time but reserve the right to table it again.