Ms Josephine Feehily:

I am a Government appointee in so far as someone has to appoint us; there must be an appointing authority. The statute states that we are appointed by the President of the Executive Council, but that is because our statute is literally that old. It has not been considered a problem up to now because of two things. In each year's finance Bill the Oireachtas places the revenues under the care and management of the commissioners.