Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Dr. Carroll MacNeill's final point. For this reason, I hold the firm view that the final decision on appointments should rest with the Government. The Local Appointments Commission for appointments to local government takes a self-perpetuating approach that results in outsiders never being appointed to senior positions in local authorities. This is wrong as it perpetuates an insiders' circle.

I do not have anything to add, other than to thank our guests for their comments. The system needs to be reformed to give effect to the recommendations made by the delegates. To be fair, while the current system has been in need of improvement and updating since 1995, as I stated in a recent debate in the Dáil, the reasons for removing former Judge Perrin and former Judge Curtin would not have been picked up in any screening process. These were the only two judges to have been removed from the Bench. The system will never be perfect and, as Dr. Carroll MacNeill stated, there will be a degree of risk involved in every appointment.