Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It almost seems as if this might be something outside the Minister of State's remit given the reference to the national lottery. I cannot help thinking that these amendments do not impact directly on the national lottery but impact upon the companies who will be regulated by this Bill. This is in exactly the same way that I was proposing in my amendments earlier that would have an impact on the people and companies who are to be regulated by this Bill and not the national lottery itself. While, again, I accept the Minister of State's bona fides in saying that he does not have permission from the Department of public expenditure or the Minister there in regard to my amendments, did the Minister of State require permission for these amendments because I do not see how they go any further than the amendments I was proposing? If that is the case, perhaps then he does not need the permission that he thought he did and perhaps he could retrospectively agree, or agree on Report Stage, to my amendments.