Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 37, to delete lines 1 to 6 and substitute the following:

33.—Section 32 shall, with all necessary modifications, apply to an employee of the Board who becomes a member of the European Parliament as that section applies to an employee who becomes a member of either House of the Oireachtas.

This amendment is designed to allow employees of the board stand for election and thereby exercise their democratic rights. On Committee Stage we dealt with the provision which prohibits an employee from being a member of a local authority. There is a great deal of merit in allowing employees to be members of local authorities. Given that public sector employees can make a valuable contribution to local government, I am proposing amendment No. 23, which will allow employees of the board to be members of local authorities. I ask Deputies to support the amendment, which is reasonable.

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