Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----by the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my own party colleague, were wrong. They emasculated the pensions of judges. Let us be big enough to recognise that this is a major issue. We will soon reach a stage where some of those we wish would apply will not do so. The recent changes to which I refer were a mistake, particularly as the savings made were insignificant. This Bill should become a vehicle to reverse those changes. If we go to committee and utilise Deputy O'Callaghan's Bill with this legislation, we will get the best of both worlds. We will get what everyone wants to achieve.

It is no use having argy-bargy between one side and the other. That is what we want to get rid of. We do not want that. We want to have the separation of powers clearly demarcated in the Constitution. We want to adhere to that principle. We could get the best of all worlds if we work hard enough in committee and achieve what we all want to achieve, namely, reformation and modernisation of the appointment process for members of the Bench.

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