Mr. Declan Carlyle:

Unlike other schemes that have those dominant employer positions, this scheme also has a requirement for the committee or trustees to get whatever they wish to do legislated for by way of a statutory instrument requiring the signature of a Minister and a consultation process thereafter. That is not present in private schemes where a trustee is present. It is an additional safeguard for the members of the scheme which is not in private schemes. The four elected committee members, without being provocative, have no standing other than being four employees. There is one committee of eight people who will act in the best interest of the beneficiaries of the scheme. That is what they do. They have powers that are unique, as we said earlier. If the elected members attended a committee meeting, their request for legal advice could be put to that committee and the committee could decide it. We cannot speak for what that committee will do even though I am a member along with Terence Ahern and Emmet Cotter. However, that is the proper place to process a request for legal advice. That committee has the power to commission that advice if it decides to do so.