Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Its representatives are sitting behind Mr. Cox. In the context of Senator Mary Ann O'Brien's point, we must ensure that the industry is so popular that those it sends to represent it in the Houses of the Oireachtas will be sympathetic towards it. On Ms Widger's comment, perhaps the committee might recommend the imposition of an upper age limit in respect of at least one of the 12 members of the board. It was very interesting to listen to the observations of a younger person.

I thank our guests for attending. We will be hearing next from representatives of the Turf Club. This is the first occasion on which the committee has been asked to examine legislation at the pre-legislative scrutiny stage. In that context, this has been a useful exercise. Today and on several other occasions, interesting proposals have been put forward. I refer, for example, to the notion of nominating a proxy to attend meetings on behalf of a member who might not be in a position to be present as a result of a heavy workload or whatever. That is a suggestion to which the committee will give consideration. Several witnesses who have come before the committee, both today and previously, have commented on head 4 and the validity of expanding the membership of the board from 12 to 15. The point has been made that a membership of 15 would not be unwieldy. That is another matter we will examine. The committee hopes to be in a position to make observations on a range of issues. It also hopes to be able to make recommendations in respect of a number of these.

I take this opportunity to point out that Deputy Lawlor and Senator Bradford are not members of the committee. However, like all other Members of the Oireachtas, they are entitled to contribute to our proceedings. It will be the members of the committee who will decide upon any final recommendations to be made. I am sure the Deputy and the Senator will make their views known to the committee.

I propose that we suspend proceedings for five minutes to allow the new witnesses to join us. If those who are with us are not in a position to stay for the remainder of the meeting, I take this opportunity to thank them for their contributions. All of the points they made will be considered by the committee, with the assistance of the Library and Research Service. We are somewhat under the gun in the context of concluding our deliberations on the general scheme of the Bill by the end of the month. With luck, however, I am sure we will be in a position to submit our recommendations to the Minister by no later than the first week of October.