Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

My view on this matter is well known. Perhaps in his response on these two amendments, the Minister of State will outline the reason elected Members are precluded from membership of the board. If we pursue the objective of electing the best qualified person to a board, the fact the person is a Member of the Oireachtas or a local authority is not reason enough to preclude him or her. I would like to hear the reason for the preclusion.

I would like a full review of the issue of representation on boards in general by elected Members. It is unfair but it is in the Bill. It has been in other Bills under other regimes. The issue needs to be brought centre stage and examined by a committee or commission because I am not happy about it. Three months from now I will have been a public representative for 28 years. I and most, if not all, in these Houses and in local authorities have never been convicted of any offence. People who fall foul of the law are the exceptions. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response to this amendment. I would like an inquiry to examine on what bodies it is appropriate for Members of these Houses and local authorities to sit. Some people seem to think it is not appropriate for us to serve on certain bodies and I want to know why.