David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

What sanctions are there, if any? Is it possible for a chief executive to express a contrary opinion and stay in office untroubled and untouched? Otherwise it seems to be very much what they call "groupthink". He or she is not allowed to express an opinion. It is not clear whether that means a negative, neutral or positive opinion. Suppose the CEO wants to express a very positive opinion about Government policy or to say he or she believes in a policy and is committed to it, but that there are questions about it, the answers to which are such-and-such. Would that not be a proper use of his or her function? I think it would.

I cannot see any reason not to allow the executive to be independent in the exercise of his or her function and to express an opinion. After all, it is only an opinion. It might well be a negative opinion and I would think that if there was an honourable chief executive who did not agree with a major area of Government policy he or she was expected to administer, the thing to do would be to resign publicly and say that the policy was wrong and he or she could not implement it in conscience.