Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the contributors for their submissions. It is remarkable how similar they all are in respect of the need for a proper system of appointment. Have they any thoughts as to why the system is so vague at present and as to why the opportunity has not been taken to strengthen it? That is probably a rhetorical question and may not require an answer.

Dr. O’Brien’s contribution on the UK system pointed out that the political representatives have been taken out of the system and that this has affected its diversity. Are those two things similar? I would have thought that taking politicians out of the system might ensure diversity, rather than restricting it, as might be the case on an Irish basis. Is the cause and effect there, in that the removal of the political representatives in the UK has led directly to a less diverse range of appointments?

In all the contributions, the point has been made that the process of selecting candidates has not been specified clearly enough in the legislation. Obviously, all of our witnesses would like to see this specified and laid out clearly in legislation. That is vitally important. The proposal to remove the Attorney General from the selection process is also a valid point and makes perfect sense.

In our witnesses’ view, if all of those things were achieved, would this lead to a more open and transparent system, rather than what we have at the moment?