Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I support Senators Browne and Glynn on this matter in so far as it relates to members of local authorities. I thought there was a conflict of interest when I was a Member of the Oireachtas while I was a member of the Medical Council. On a couple of occasions, I could not be paired to facilitate my absence from the House. I was needed here for votes and also needed for council duties. Members of the Oireachtas and Members of the European Parliament would have to overcome some significant obstacles before they could serve on bodies like the Medical Council. Even though there were times when I was not sure whether I was serving the Oireachtas or the Medical Council, I managed to juggle my two roles during the short period of time in question. While I do not think it would be appropriate to allow Members of the Oireachtas and Members of the European Parliament to sit on the Medical Council, it is undemocratic to prevent members of local authorities from accepting such a role. I was not a member of a local authority when I sat on the Medical Council. My time on the council was one of the best educational experiences I have ever had — it opened my eyes to all sorts of things. I would hate to think that somebody could be prevented from taking up a similar role because he or she is a member of a local authority.