Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will come back to the term "feasible and practicable". Section 7(2)(a) states, "the objective that the membership of the judiciary should comprise equal numbers of men and women,". When we set out an objective, it is what we aim for. It is a vision or a mission. It is not that it must happen. When it comes to the mix of men and women, there is an indication of an objective but we do not include the term "feasible and practicable". Neither is it done in section 7(2)(c), which states, "the objective that, consistent with the written statement most recently provided under section 53(7) to the Procedures Committee concerning the needs of the users of the courts in that regard, the membership of the judiciary should include

persons with a proficiency in the Irish language." It does not have a clause to dilute the meaning. Three of those paragraphs outline objectives and what we would like to aim for. The only paragraph with a diluting clause is the one concerning diversity. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, has spoken about increasing diversity with the Bill but this is the only element being watered down. How can it be justified that the others are not diluted but this one is?Why is the language in paragraph (b) different from that in paragraphs (a) and (c)? It does not really make sense.