Since being appointed Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have been concerned by the public perception that prison visiting committee appointments are made with a view to maximising tax free income for the recipients rather than on other criteria. As a consequence, whereas I have not engaged in a wholesale bloodletting in regard to the appointments that have come up for renewal, I have been careful to ensure that, of the appointments I have made afresh, that they come from the county in which the institution is located or an adjoining county.