James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 1 is a Government amendment and proposes changes to be made to the Long Title of the Bill.

The amendment is a technical amendment for the purpose of inserting two commas on either side of the phrase "by the Commission" where it appears in line 13 of page 5. The amendment was one of amendments to the Long Title suggested by Senator Ward on Committee Stage. I have asked my officials to consider these suggestions in consultation with the Parliamentary Counsel and out of that consideration arises amendment No. 1. I wish to acknowledge the Senator's eagle eye in this regard.

I will now speak to amendments Nos. 3, 14, 15, 20 to 24, inclusive, 31 and 34. On 31 January 2023, the Government made an order in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 6 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939. The name of the order may be cited as the Public Expenditure and Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2023, SI 19 of 2023. The order came into operation on 1 February 2023 and altered the title of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to that of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel has advised that a formal amendment is now required to be made to the Bill in each case where the title of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform appears. The House will recall that I made reference to this matter on Committee Stage on 7 March when I signalled my intention to bring forward amendments for this purpose. The title of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform appears ten times in the Bill - in eight of its sections and in the Schedule to the Bill.