Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I have considered carefully whether there should be one, two or three members of the commission. It is desirable that there should be more than one. This will not be a disadvantage to the commission or reduce its status and effectiveness. Providing for three members increases the chance that an internal debate will take place before any decision is made, which is in itself a good thing. The commission is thus likely to act deliberately and to have thought through carefully the consequences of its actions.

I am not critical of the arrangements in Northern Ireland, where there is a single ombudsman, Ms Nuala O'Loan. I have no doubt that she carries out her work in a very effective manner. The Republic is a larger country and the load Senator Tuffy proposes to place on one person's shoulders could be enormous in this community. It is reasonable to share the load among three people. Senator Cummins used the word "strident" in this context. I do not consider stridency to be a characteristic of Ms O'Loan or one we should seek in a commissioner. We need a cool, calm, deliberate commissioner rather than a person who is strident. I do not want stridency to be the hallmark of the commission's activities here.