Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This amendment to section 3A of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998 will provide an annual allowance to not more than three specified holders of the office of Minister of State who regularly attend meetings of the Government. As the House will be aware, the Government appointed three Ministers of State, otherwise known as super junior Ministers, who will regularly attend Government meetings. Current legislation provides for two specified holders of these offices to receive an annual allowance for attendance at Government meetings. I bring forward this amendment to ensure equity between all three Ministers of State. The role of Minister of State is important in ensuring policy implementation under their area of responsibility and with an additional role and responsibility of contributing to Cabinet meetings. It is appropriate the relevant Ministers of State should receive the allowance applicable to that role.

Amendment No. 2 is a drafting amendment to delete "Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2020" and substitute it with "Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 2020". Amendment No. 3 deletes the words, "this Act" and substitutes "section 1". Amendment No. 4 relates to the Title and seeks in line 8 after "science" to insert "to amend section 3A of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998.