Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in this evening. We have all learned a lot from them and one another.

The NGOs being able to bring legal claims in their own name, rather than relying on individuals, was a position taken by the National Women's Council, NWC. Is this view shared by all of the organisations? If the NGOs are granted legal standing, how does Ms Bayliss propose to ensure accountability to the people her organisation claims to represent? This is particularly important if we consider that those people may not have been consulted or may disagree with the litigation strategy. Given that many organisations like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SVP, receive public funding, does Ms Bayliss see any risk of a conflict of interest in using the funding to initiate legal action that may shape national policy in the future? Is the SVP happy to support the NWC's submission on being able to bring claims under the NGO standard?