Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

Section 17 provides that the commission may inquire only into the recruitment practices of public service bodies prior to making a report on whether certain posts should be subject to the remit of the commission. There is no impediment on the Minister making an order under section 6 to bring any professional post in the public service within the remit of the commission. Amendment No. 13 would create the unnecessary precondition of an investigation before the making of any such order. In respect of subsection (2) of the proposed new section, any report made by the commission, pursuant to section 17, is already subject to the procedure whereby the Minister must make a statement if he or she does not propose to accept the commission's recommendations. Consequently, I cannot accept the amendment.

In regard to Senator McDowell's question, the intention is that it will start out as a normal inter-departmental competition recruitment process.