Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I have been greatly impressed by the arguments advanced on this matter by Senator Walsh. Overnight I decided to accept the amendment concerning local authority members. In other words, I agree that it is highly discriminatory to impose a ban on local authority members being members of this particular board. If someone is suitably qualified to perform a function and happens to be a member of a local authority, he or she should not be excluded from membership of this board. Because of the submissions and statements made by Senators Twomey and McCarthy, I am accepting the amendment, even though it would suit me and my officials better to have the Bill passed today. Nonetheless, we will go back to the Dáil. We will delete paragraph (e) of section 40(1).

I am not so minded to change other paragraphs referring to the nomination of a person as a candidate for election to the Dáil or the European Parliament, however successful or unsuccessful they may prove to be. There is a genuine reason persons who are highly politicised and contesting an election for membership of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament should not be on the board. It is discriminatory, however, to prohibit a suitably qualified local authority member from serving. In deference to the Senators' views, therefore, I am changing that part of the legislation.