Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I agree with all the previous speakers with the notable exception of Senator Quinn. If a local authority member meets the criteria laid down by the Minister and if he or she has a certain level of expertise, skill and knowledge in that area, there is no reason he or she cannot serve on this or any other board. Any system which is enhanced by the role of a member and which is able to elicit information is good. This proposal is akin to saying that a county councillor cannot be a member of the Irish Hotels Federation.