Professor John McHale:

I appreciate the great work done by the Oireachtas as a protection of the independence of the council. We cannot be dismissed without a resolution of the Dáil. I am sure the committee members are aware of their own powers. It is a very important protection of an independent body that it cannot be dismissed because it gave advice or stated something not popular with the Government of the day. In other countries, including Hungary, when fiscal councils have stated something the government did not like, they were dismissed. The fact a resolution of the Dáil needs to be forthcoming is an important protection.