Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I note the issue Senator Boylan raised about the introduction of amendments by the Government that are not consequential to Bills. Standing Order 154 requires amendments on Committee Stage of a Bill to be relevant to the subject matter of the Bill. Amendments which do not meet that requirement are ruled out of order by the Cathaoirleach. In the case in question, I ruled the amendments out of order. Amendments tabled on Committee Stage to the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 are not relevant to the subject matter of the Bill but, according to the motion before the House, if the House agrees to set aside the requirement in respect of Government amendments for the purpose of Committee Stage of the Bill, that will clear way for the amendments to be moved. It will, of course, be entirely up to the House to agree whether or not it should proceed with those amendments. At my request, the review of the practice of the setting aside of Standing Orders to facilitate amendments which are not relevant to the subject matter of a Bill is to be considered by the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight. Any changes recommended by the committee will be tabled before the House.

I share Members' concerns about the tabling of amendments that are not relevant to the subject matter of the Bill. The issue has grown during the term of this Seanad; it did not arise in previous Seanad. Like the Dáil, we believe that all elements of a Bill should receive scrutiny on all Stages and that loopholes such as this, which is the best way I can describe it, should be shut down. That is my view because legislation is there to be scrutinised. Mechanisms are being used to add what can often be quite big changes to other legislation. Those loopholes need to be shut down. They have been shut down in the Dáil and it is to be hoped they will be shut down here.