Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We would like to think any attempt to reform how we select judges would actually be a reform and not more of the same. I am against the notion that we will legislate to encourage the Public Appointments Service to pick lay members from the section of society whose members are part of the status quoand do not challenge the powers that be. We were looking for fresh thinking and to come up with a commission that would represent the people of Ireland to a greater degree. I am confident that members of the Judiciary would be a lot more objective in selecting individuals they see fit to become judges than the people who come from these organisations who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. God help us - have we learned anything from how this society runs? There is a merry-go-round of individuals who have a certain dominance of power in Ireland. They have had a foothold here and this building, Leinster House, is overrun by lobbyists and people with influence who have an impact on how legislation is structured. One example is the REITs that were set up, which were outrageous. We created a situation where investment funds from abroad bought up stressed properties, used them in the rental market and paid no tax on the income.

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