Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What we are doing, which is entirely in keeping with the main function and the main thrust of the Opposition amendments going back over a year, is to effectively hobble the lay members and to create a hierarchy. Senator McDowell said that there are important aspects of this that non-lawyers and non-judges should have no hand, act or part in, thereby creating a hierarchy where there are second class members. The Senator has given evidence for months of his hostility to the garagemen being on the commission, for example, and of his hostility to anyone who was a non-judge or a non-member of the Law Library or the Law Society of Ireland being on the commission. This amendment is entirely in keeping with that, it is something I have a resolute opposition towards and that is why I cannot accept the amendment.