Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister's openness to moving on some of these issues. One way to address this issue might be to tighten the definition of a voluntary assistant on page 9. It defines a voluntary assistant as somebody who is engaged in any way in the operation of the credit union. As Deputy Doherty said, that means that if one painted the place or the like, one cannot serve on the board. It appears to be a huge missed opportunity. The Minister could consider tightening the definition to something approximating being a substantive volunteer or volunteering on a weekly basis. I cannot suggest an exact wording but it should make it clear that if one painted the place in June or got involved in some activity for the credit union, it does not preclude one from being a member of the board. On the other hand, section 11 suggests that the directors on the board cannot volunteer even in an ad hoc way, or they must resign. Perhaps something can be done there.

Can I get clarity from the Minister about the voluntary assistants? Subsection (10), which defines the persons who are not eligible to become a director of a credit union, lists the various descriptions we have been discussing. One of them is obviously the voluntary assistant.

Is it the intention of the Minister that I could be a voluntary assistant, decide to put myself forward for election to the board and state categorically that I am stopping my role as voluntary assistant? Is the idea that if someone has been a voluntary assistant, even if one is willing to stop doing so once the person is elected to the board, that person cannot run for the board? I agree with the Minister that board members should not be overseeing their own work.