Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

We must be clear in passing this legislation that we are adopting, in some instances, a highly artificial definition of a new entrant into the public service. I will give a specific example and feel the person concerned would not mind because it is objective fact. This person served in the Department of the Environment for 30 or 40 years and became Secretary General of that Department. The person retired and a year or two later and became director of the National Library. To refer to that sort of person as a new entrant in the public service stretches language. I accept this language is purely for the purposes of this Act. However, not a soul on the streets would regard such a person as a new entrant to the public service.