Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending to address the joint committee on the motion. I echo the Chairman's comments on the process. The people the Minister is proposing to appoint are excellent choices and a great leader has been chosen as Chief Commissioner. We look forward to their being able to move forward in their planning process. I commend the fact that the Government had no role in the process of selection, which speaks strongly to the independence of the commission. I also acknowledge the great support of the civil servants in the Department throughout this ongoing process which I realise has been difficult at different times.
As the Chairman mentioned, we are investigating including human rights in the title of the committee and in the context of our terms of reference. That would be an important symbolic move. It would acknowledge that we were in a new era with the establishment of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. We hope to bring that particular lens to bear in our work on justice, equality and defence matters.
Perhaps the Minister might clarify that the members of the commission will begin their three year or five year term from their date of appointment on 1 November. They have already been in situfor almost one year, but their official term will begin then. Second, what were the criteria whereby some commissioners were chosen for three year terms, while others were chosen for five year terms?