Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 66:

In page 27, lines 32 and 33, to delete “with the consent of the Minister”.

This amendment relates to the membership of the authority. We are suggesting the authority should comprise 21 members, 12 of whom should be ordinary members appointed by the Government subject to section 62D, and nine of whom should be political members appointed in accordance with the relevant subsection. The nine political members elected to the authority should be appointed through the use of the d’Hondt method of election at a date not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of the Act. The 12 ordinary members appointed to the authority by the Government should be appointed at a date not later than 30 days after the enactment of the Act. Following this appointment, the members should, by casting a secret ballot, elect one of the ordinary members to be chairperson of the authority. If a person stands elected under subsection (3), the person should, on that day, stand elected as the first chairperson of the authority. In appointing the 12 ordinary members of the authority, the Government should have regard to the objective of there being no fewer than six members who are women and no fewer than six members who are men. Except for the first-appointed members of the authority and subject to section 62E(5), a person should not be appointed as a member of the authority unless a resolution has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas recommending his or her appointment. Except for the first-appointed ordinary members of the authority and subject to section 62E, the Government should appoint ordinary members of the authority from among such persons as are recommended by the service in accordance with section 62D for appointment as such ordinary members.

The proposed amendment serves to address the issues we see around the membership of the authority as put forward by the Government. We are advocating for a 21-member authority with nine political representatives to be elected based on the d’Hondt method and 12 ordinary members who are representative of civil society and who have expertise in the field. The 12 ordinary members should elect a chairperson from among themselves. We also believe there should be a role for advisory groups in the process.