David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It would be wonderful. On the other hand the Bill proposes that the commission may pay these fees, "out of the resources at its disposal". What are the resources at its disposal? They can only pay what they have in the kitty. If they do not have enough in the kitty to pay proper consultants then we are banjaxed from day 1.

There are a lot of problems with this question of payment. I do not suggest that the Minister is engaged in any deliberate bafflement or obscurantism. With all of this stuff and the consultants, advisers other persons, doodahs, whatnots and all the rest of it, it sounds to me as though we are giving a pretty good example of what, in the Minister's delightful phrase, could be characterised as an "engorged bureaucracy". I am greatly concerned at the question of payment. On the face of it it looks like we might toss them a few bones here and there or we might give them absolutely nothing whatsoever. I have had some contact with the world of consultants. I have yet to come across one who is prepared to do it for the love of the country. They do it for good, hard cash.