Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is confusing when we rejoin the discussion and because groups of amendments are linked with other ones and are contingent on them passing, it is a bit chaotic so I am not entirely sure. We have been discussing this. This group of amendments is really about aiming to have a diverse as a commission as possible. The Bill favours individuals with particular skills from particular backgrounds. They may well be qualified. They might be a bit monocultural. What this seeks to do is shake it up a bit. We did propose a number of lay appointments from FLAC, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. The amendments in this group take another step and provide that the lay membership should have at least some members with experience of working with offending behaviour and-or rehabilitation of offenders while removing the requirement that they have experience in commerce, finance or administration and in making appointments to public office or senior private appointments. I know amendment No. 67 in the name of Deputy Wallace is similar in that it says they should have experience of civil society, trade union activity and academia. I agree with that as well.

Amendment No. 60 introduces other amendments to another aspect of section 15 in that it introduces an obligation on the Public Appointments Service in appointing lay members to have regard to the objective of equal gender representation on the commission and the objective that the members of the commission reflect society's diversity. I do not know why that is not in the Bill in the first place. Amendment No. 69 in the name of Deputy Wallace does the same. I am not fully sure where the "lay" thing comes in with regard to this group of amendments but I think they are linked to another batch of amendments. I will have a look and come back in a minute.