Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I agree with Senator Burke's amendment. It concerns an issue I addressed on Second Stage as did my colleagues, Senators Feeney, Paddy Burke and O'Toole.

Senator Burke has outlined the reasons and I agree with them. Members of local authorities have a vast amount of experience, particularly with regard to road safety issues, which they deal with daily, and on which they lobby to get better conditions for the people they represent. While Members of the Oireachtas and MEPs are also prohibited, I do not agree with that but can see the sense in it because they are legislators. However, I cannot see the sense in prohibiting members of local authorities from being members of the road safety authority, nor does it make sense that if someone is a member of the authority and is doing a good job, and successfully stands in a local or general election, he or she is then obliged to immediately resign from the authority. This is ludicrous. It has crept into other legislation and there is no sense in it. Senator Paddy Burke said it is not compulsory to appoint someone from the Houses of the Oireachtas or from local government to the authority, but such people should not be prohibited from being members of the authority. I urge the Minister of State to consider this issue again.