Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I suggest to the Minister of State that a provision should have been included to allow members of local authorities to sit on the board. He may be pleased to note that members of prison visiting committees may also be members of Seanad Éireann, Dáil Éireann, the European Parliament or a local authority. To disbar people who may be eminent professors, scientists or researchers from being members of the board if they are elected to a local authority is grossly unfair. I accept that Members of these Houses or the European Parliament should be disbarred because they have a full-time commitment to their work and it is extremely difficult to find the time to be both a legislator and a research scientist. As soon as an individual becomes a member of a local authority, he or she will be disbarred even though he or she may be providing a tremendous service to the board in terms of research.

As local authority members will possibly be excluded from membership of either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament, it is surely going too far to force people to decide between continuing as members of a research board or becoming members of a local authority. There is nothing inconsistent about being a member of this board while also serving on a local authority. This may not affect many individuals; it may not arise at all.

I ask the Minister of State, however, to discuss this with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, to see if this provision can be removed. I am happy to concur with the exclusion from the board of Members of the Oireachtas, who have enough commitments already. It would also be inconsistent if Members of the Oireachtas had to resign from local authorities but would be eligible to participate on boards of this quality and size.