Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Before the Minister of State replies, I wish to clarify an issue for Senator White. She made an important point to the effect that people are not used to seeking election and that in many workplaces, big or small, people would not want to put themselves forward for such a role. In my previous job I had responsibility for 3,500 primary schools throughout the country. Some schools were very big while others were very small with only two or three teachers in the school. The Minister of State can explain to Senator White how he had to do this in his former life, very often with reluctant employees, teachers in this case, who did not particularly want to take on responsibility but who nevertheless accepted. Every one of those 3,500 workplaces got together and organised to elect a member to serve on school boards of management. Similarly, the parents, who were also reluctant as they did not want to have anything to do with it and were happy to let the teachers or the board run the schools, also got together and elected people to serve on those boards. I say that because whether people are interested in being elected or have experience of it, this is not an impossible task to implement. What we are talking about today is far easier than what both the Minister of State and I have experienced in former lives. We should dispose of that particular objection.

In answer to Senator Quinn's remark on the terms of office, there is nothing in my amendment to prevent somebody from being re-elected to a term of office. That Deputies and Senators are elected for a period of not more than five years does not stop them putting themselves forward for re-election. My amendment does not prevent candidates opting for re-election although people might interpret it that way. It is a matter of there having to be an electoral process at the end of each period in office. The period does not have to be three years. This was chosen quite arbitrarily and perhaps it is too short — I do not have a view on that. If we deal with the issues of principle, the implementation difficulties will be dealt with easily.