Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 11 seeks in page 8 to delete lines 34 to 36, and in page 9, to delete lines 1 and 2. That is for the purpose of removing what is the definition of the relevant period.

The legislation as drafted stipulates that a person cannot have been a barrister or solicitor in the period of 15 years immediately preceding the latest date on which he or she may apply. Again I believe that is unnecessary. If we are trying to include lay people, the legislation should simply state they cannot be a judge, barrister or solicitor. However, it is unnecessary to stipulate that they cannot be a former judge, former barrister or former solicitor.

That is the purpose of amendment No. 11.

Amendment No. 69 is Deputy Wallace's, but I have spoken on my amendments in the second grouping tranche.