Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Senator is right: if we were to accept this amendment, it would only have prospective impact. We have had this discussion before. We cannot retrospectively alter these conditions. We have already fundamentally altered the top level appointment committee, TLAC, terms and all new appointments made since shortly after we came into office have been on the revised terms. It was a surprise to many of us. I have been around these Houses a long time and as far as I can recall, the TLAC terms were introduced in 1987. They applied to Secretaries General and some others, including county and city managers. We have already altered the terms, but we cannot retrospectively alter them for those who already have these rights.