Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Higgins for bringing forward this amendment. In order to carry out this change of shareholding from one Ministry to another, the details of it have to be laid before the Houses and a resolution can then be brought by either House to annul it. It is not the case that it automatically goes through. It is the case that either the Seanad or the Dáil can stop such as a transfer. If a situation arose where either the Seanad or the Dáil felt that the transfer was inappropriate and that the wrong priorities were attached to the relevant Minister, it could prevent the transfer from going ahead. That power is already there and for that reason I do not see the usefulness of the amendment.