Sean Barrett (Independent)

I move amendment No. 117:

In page 47, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following subsection:

"(2) The Appeals Panel will be established by the Authority in conjunction with the Academic Councils of the previously established universities as defined under section 9 of the Act of 1997.".

The phrase, "The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the establishment day, establish an Appeals Panel and shall appoint at least 10 people with a special interest or expertise in, or knowledge of, the functions of the Authority," struck me as being strange, as the appeals panel would be adjudicating on the education aspect, not the authority's workings. For this reason, I have tried to tie my amendment to the university sector. Seeking someone who is an expert on the authority's functions, not on the merits or demerits of the appeal before the panel, seems inward looking.