Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This section of Schedule 2 of the Bill concerns the removal from office by the Minister of a board or appeals committee member. The grounds include that a member has engaged in "serious" misconduct and the amendment proposes to delete "serious". We are opposing the amendment as it is important that the independence of the board and appeals committee is maintained and that the Minister should have a serious reason for removing a member from office. It is subjective but the Attorney General and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel have already put forward the word "serious" for use. I am not a legal expert and we can argue at length about "serious" as we did about public morality or whatever.