Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not tend to speak in debates on the Bill but I want to say that while I cannot vote for it, I agree with the amendment. The one major difficulty I have with the Bill is that members of my profession, or members of the profession of the Minister and Senator McDowell, are ineligible to be chair of the commission. I do not see the logic in it. Many of my fine colleagues throughout the legal profession would be completely objective enough to chair the commission. I agree with the point that having a judge as chair might be inappropriate. Often I am conflicted about this legislation but I cannot sit here and not say that I really do not like the fact that a member of either branch of the legal profession would not be allowed to chair the commission. I want to put this point on the record.