Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will come in on a point of information so there is no confusion. My suggestion was not that you would have the nominating panels nominating names into a committee appointed by the Minister. My question was more to do with the idea that if there is going to be a committee, would it not be better that the legislation would stipulate the organisations that would have the right to nominate a member on to that committee. It would take the current nominating bodies and add to those in the legislation.

The Minister would not, therefore, have the discretion to decide who is or is not on the committee. The Oireachtas would make that decision. In some senses, it would be merging the panel and committee system, which would still involve civic society but would do what Mr. Lawlor said. I just want to be clear that what I was asking about was not having a panel and a committee appointed by the Minister. It is merging the two. I am interested in people's thoughts on that.