Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Brennan. It is good to receive this report. He made a number of points in his presentation about the restriction on the length of time directors could serve and the prohibition of persons serving on boards. Others have the view that the volunteer role in credit unions will be enhanced rather than diminished by the Bill.

On the prohibition of persons, what did Mr. Brennan mean by "smaller credit unions"? I ask him to clarify this. I accept that it can be difficult to get persons to serve on boards, but sometimes it can be good for an organisation to have new members on boards rather than have some members staying on indefinitely.

There were 11 members of the Commission on Credit Unions. I suggest the committee invite them to give us an opinion on some of the views we have heard today. Perhaps we might discuss that issue later. It is important that those who made up the Commission on Credit Union are given the opportunity to speak about some of the decisions they reached and how they came to make them.

We must remember credit unions have a strong social dimension. They provide finance for the community and are very much rooted in the communities they service. We must take cognisance of this and the special ethos of credit unions and the special role they play in the communities they serve.