Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that the Minister of State has been at pains to say that this legislation is not about regulation. The amendments that have caused the delay to this legislation progressing in the past number of months are all about giving powers of regulation to the IAA. I am mindful as to why the Minister of State indicated that she took on board contracted special aviation expertise in her dealings with the IAA. Whether it is the IAA's own functions or whether it was with regard to developing information in respect of search and rescue, which is a different topic but which is related to the same recommendation, the Department did not feel the need to take on external contracted expertise other than the IAA in order to respond to all of these regulatory amendments tabled in respect of the Bill.

I am of the view that we have a legal conflict of interest. I would be minded to suspend the sitting in order that we, as Members, can take legal advice as to whether we are doing something that involves a breach of trust between two authorities. The Department of Transport is supposed to be governing the other; it is a not a case of the other governing the Department.