Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I just wanted to be clear about what Mr. McCabe wants.

On the second issue, every group that has come before the committee mentioned its concerns about section 29. The management bodies told us they were nervous about being put in that position. The boards of management do not want to be the last port of call in deciding on an application only to find they are exposed to legal action because they cannot prove there was proper independence and the whole process becomes nasty. Equally, not all parents would be comfortable with that and having to trust that it would be given a fresh look if the same people are deciding at a later point in the process. Do the witnesses believe the existing system should change or what would they recommend as an alternative that would still have those elements? Independence is crucial, and it must be a fresh process, but is the existing system with its requirement for the Secretary General of the Department to be involved and ultimately sign off on it correct? Should we be looking at an independent national or regional committee that everybody would have confidence in but that would not be overly cumbersome?