Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I know the Minister is committed to public information campaigns. It was regrettable an amendment simply stating a campaign should be in plain English, given it is Government official policy that its communications would be in plain English, was ruled as being a cost to the State. This is a wider issue which people will be aware I have been raising. The idea of having an information campaign that people would understand was regarded as being an unacceptable cost on the State. That is an example of an over-reach in terms of the interpretation of a cost to the State. It goes with another amendment, which unfortunately was ruled out of order. The Minister will be aware of the amendment. These proposals could have saved the State money. These amendments sought to give the Minister the power to remove immunity from certain organisations, which he might have added as being relevant bodies. For example, I refer to those organisations in subsection (3), including those the Minister may add. He could, by regulation, remove immunity from such organisations. That is something that would have saved the State money. It is amazing it was chosen to be interpreted as a cost to the State. I wanted to highlight that. It is a slightly wider issue but it is an example of constructive proposals designed to ensure the State does not end up giving indirect immunity or indemnity to people to whom it should not and which attempted to ensure public information is communicated in a proper way in plain English that is accessible to everybody, including some of those whose educational opportunities may have been curtailed by the very fact of their experience in engaging with these institutions. It is regrettable that was ruled out of order. We found another way to bring the point in. I do not doubt the Minister’s commitment to a communication campaign in that regard. I know he wants to reach out widely but I wanted to give an opportunity and a mandate for that. The Minister might engage with those points.