Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned about what will happen in the case of someone who has been serving as a Clerk Assistant of the Seanad or the Dáil, but whose contract is not renewed at the end of the time period that is being imposed in this legislation for some reason or other. Will that person's career be over? Where will he or she be going in the public service? Where is his or her future? Such a person will have been constructively dismissed, in effect, by being refused access to the next post up the ranks. From that point of view, I still think everything about this is wrong. The Government promised reform, but this proposal is not reform. It involves picking on a couple of specific posts within the Oireachtas and subjecting them to an appraisal of their performance after a set number of years. From my perspective and that of most reasonable people, this is a proposal to remove a degree of the independence the office requires. As it is an independent office, I do not believe a time period should be imposed on it. I accept what Senator Darragh O'Brien has said and what Senator Cummins said earlier about setting the period at seven years and making it subject to renewal, all other things being equal at the end of that period. I would see nothing wrong with that. It would not be ideal, as it is not what people expect when they give their lives to the State, but it would be a damn sight better than what is provided for here.