Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister said - I am not fully sure whether he was being smart - I am all in favour of practising barristers and solicitors being involved in this body. That is precisely why I moved amendments in respect of the appointments from some of the external bodies like FLAC and the ICCL such that, even though they may be representing the lay component, their representatives could still be practising barristers or solicitors.

I am all in favour of the enhanced representation of solicitors and barristers on the board, but who will choose them? Unlike FLAC and the ICCL, of which no questions have ever been asked about their probity, questions have been asked about the probity of the Law Society of Ireland in High Court proceedings and of the Bar Council of Ireland. These tend to be organisations which nominate the in-crowd. It is not the case that one necessarily is a practising member, a barrister or a solicitor, but the in-crowd or in-set tend to be favoured by these organisations. The aim is to keep professional representation, as well as the importance and input of the profession, but to remove the choice as to who the representatives of the governing bodies would be.