Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 193:

In page 92, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:

“(2A) A record of any consultations conducted under subsection (2) shall be kept and will include the rationale by which the Commission deemed the person to be appropriate to consult with, and such records shall be deposited with the Minister and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.”.

This is the same principle we discussed earlier in regard to other amendments. It is the principle that records of consultations should be kept and, again, that there would be a record of why certain persons were consulted with. We have heard of the level of direct engagement and lobbying that happens in some of these matters. That is why it is appropriate that there would be records of consultations. I know the Minister will disagree with the point in respect of the records of consultations being deposited with the Minister and the Houses of the Oireachtas given we have discussed similar amendments previously. However, while I am very flexible on those matters, I strongly feel that the principle that the records of consultations should be kept is important.