Mary White (Fianna Fail)

When the issue of a three-person commission came up in our earlier discussions, I did not feel it was the right solution. We have just one Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, one Attorney General and one Director of Public Prosecution. Nuala O'Loan stands for independence and integrity. A chairperson of the ombudsman commission is not a sufficient title to give authority to the position. The position needs to be identified in a person we all trust, like Nuala O'Loan who made herself available when Robert McCartney was murdered in the North.

Even from the South, I have faith in Nuala O'Loan. The chairperson of the commission must have an identity, rather than just being the chairperson of the ombudsman commission where the position is just a fudge. From a marketing point of view, the position must be clear and it must be clear what the holder stands for. Will the Minister explain how he will put it into the public arena? The person selected as chairperson will need to be as good a communicator as Nuala O'Loan who has been one of the most outstanding people in the North over the past number of years. Will the Minister clarify the position regarding the chairman and the three-person commission?