Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I move amendment No. 6:

In page 4, line 25, to delete "Every person" and substitute "A person".

I hope I win this one. The section makes two amendments to the National Disability Authority, NDA. It makes provision for the NDA to play a role in a monitoring mechanism for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also provides for staff of the NDA to become civil servants of the State. This is a technical drafting amendment, which seeks to align the current provision better with the section as a whole. The term "Every person" is replaced by "A person". It is a minor amendment that I am making on the advice of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to ensure a consistent approach throughout the section. I stress that the change in the status of the staff of the NDA will not in any way compromise the authority's independence. As the committee will be aware, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, enjoys full independence in its role notwithstanding the fact that its staff are civil servants of the State. I intend to bring forward a further amendment to this section on Report Stage, which will deal with the transfer of pension liabilities for the staff of the NDA.