I looked at the debate at Committee and Report Stages in the other House and felt it was a very good debate in which a number of amendments were accepted. It would be wrong to regurgitate some of the amendments in this House. However, there are questions I want to ask the Minister.
The Minister was kind enough to inform us last week when the Bill was before the House that there were major changes made to it. One of the changes in this section relates to subsection (1)(b). The original provision was to "arrange or to provide for a payment to a partner". However, the Minister then introduced an amendment in the other House making it subject to subsection (4), which relates to the Department of Finance. It would appear that the heavy hand of the Department of Finance will fall on every public private partnership.
Most of the PPPs will come from the Department of the Environment and Local Government. My understanding is that if it grants approval the proposal then must go on to the Department of Finance. This is a retrograde step in such progressive legislation. I understand, and it is quite right, that the Department of Finance must have some control, but look at the experience of local authorities. Everything a local authority does has to be approved by the Department of Finance and the consequent delays are extraordinary. Now we are going back to the same system with the PPPs whereby they will all be passed on to the Department of Finance for its final approval.
A better way would be for some finances to be given to different Departments, have them capped and allow them to generate their own PPPs under that capping system. I do not think this is what is being provided. The Minister might enlighten me as to whether I am correct.