Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

There is nothing wrong with the amendment but the reason I will not insert it in the Bill is that, strictly speaking, it is not necessary. It is clear from the provisions of section 3(1) that a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland seconded to the Garda Síochána and appointed in accordance with this section is appointed to a rank in the Garda Síochána. I will read the full text of section 3(1) to make it clearer: ". . . the Commissioner may, at the request of the Chief Constable [this refers to somebody from the PSNI appointed to the Garda Síochána] (a) appoint a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to a rank in the Garda Síochána. . . ". It is stated in paragraph (b) that the Commissioner may, at the request of the Chief Constable "request the Government to appoint such a member to a rank in the Garda Síochána not below that of superintendent. . . ". The Government must appoint superintendents but they are appointed to a rank in the Garda Síochána. Subsection (2) states, "The ranks in the Garda Síochána to which such members may be appointed. . . ". It is clear that somebody so appointed for the period of the secondment is, effectively, a member of the Garda Síochána. As that is clear in the text, I do not see any need for the amendment.