Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I signalled on Second Stage, these are transitional provisions. They determine the extent to which an inquiry that is already under way at the time the relevant provisions of the Bill are commenced shall be affected by the provisions. It is important that the changes necessitated by the Zalewski judgment in regard to the appeal and court confirmation of inquiry decisions take effect at the earliest practicable opportunity.

Amendment No. 23 is necessary to provide clarity that section 94 will operate as intended and that the new provisions will apply to an inquiry decision that has not been notified to the inquiry subject regardless of whether the decision is made before or after the commencement of section 53.

Amendment No. 24 is a consequential amendment to delete subsection (5). The effect of that subsection is achieved by subsection (2) in conjunction with the new subsection (3), as substituted by amendment No. 23.