Feargal Quinn (Independent)

This is an interesting debate on an issue which has been previously discussed. When I first became a Senator some 13 or 14 years ago, I was stunned to discover that as I was a Member of the Seanad I had to resign from a couple of areas. I could not understand that. It seemed demeaning and suggested I could not be trusted.

I have now come to a different conclusion. It is political parties which cannot be trusted. There is a danger that if one allowed Seanad and Dáil Members to go onto various boards — it is not that they could not be trusted, and it is not demeaning to them, but the criticism is of the political parties — there is little doubt that if one party appointed a couple of its members on one occasion, another party would feel obliged to create a balance in another way. That applied to Members of the Oireachtas, and probably to MEPs too. However, to exclude the 900 local authority members as well is using a huge hammer to swat a fly. I have a difficulty with that. I know the vast majority of them are political appointees and there is a danger involved, but I am sure it can be overcome.

The amendment is a little sweeping because it includes all boards, but there is a balance involved, and I urge the Minister of State to listen to what Senator O'Toole said and see if there is a way around the problem. It is something which has been conceded before, as Senator O'Toole has noted. This could be the occasion on which the Minister of State could consider the matter again and return on Report Stage to say that local authority members can be included.