Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I may have missed it, but I cannot find a reference to any qualification the chairperson of the council should have when the Minister selects him or her. It is amazing there is no suggestion that the person to be appointed ought to possess some qualification or degree. I know that under the present Minister this could not happen, but if it were a Labour Party Minister for Health and Children, the person appointed could be a prominent member of the Labour Party. I believe the chairperson of such an important body should have some threshold to get over before taking office. It is a pity, because there is so much prescription right through this section, all of which I agree with. I think, however, the office of chairperson could be better defined.