Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo the welcome to the visitors. I, too, was born in County Galway. The visitors are well represented by Senator Crowe. They are very welcome to Leinster House.

I thank Senator Higgins for the amendments. I will not be accepting amendment No. 71. The purpose of section 30 is to provide legislative underpinning for the Minister to direct an coimisiún to provide observations on legislative proposals, to undertake a review of the operation or intended operation of an enactment or to make a proposal of its own volition regarding a legislative measure. This will be a useful provision in light of the type of future legislation that may be required to take account of societal or technological changes as it would enable an coimisiún to be proactive and to make timely observations and proposals to Ministers. In this context, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, does not believe there is a requirement to lay records of consultations undertaken with any person to comply with a ministerial direction to provide observations. It is not usual practice to lay internal records of the processes and activities of public bodies before the Oireachtas or for the Oireachtas Library to store such materials.