Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ruane for agreeing to withdraw amendment No. 4. I would add that the role of the Chief Justice in recommending a judge of the superior courts has been well established in relation to codes, including the provisions of the Electoral Act 1997 relating to constituency commissions, for many years. Again, however, I welcome that.

I will make a general point regarding the overall approach and the commission's potential around the participation and inclusion of minorities in our electoral system. We have given a significant political commitment to ensure that the commission will have a strong public role to ensure that the research and advisory work it carries out, as well as the promotion of our political system, will be wholly inclusive and will try to bring in minorities. If the commission were to carry out research on, for example, barriers to migrants participating in our electoral system, it is envisaged that were a committee to be established, the Immigration Council of Ireland and other organisations would be involved in that.

On Senator Flynn's point around the Traveller community, there is an important role for the commission to play here. We are probably homing in on the membership of the commission itself and not focusing on what the commission can actually do. We are seeing in other jurisdictions that a commission can be transformative in carrying out research, in making recommendations to legislators and in ensuring that there is that bottom-up work that Senator Flynn has spoken about. That involves capacity building at a community level. There are other elements of support that need to happen from a community development perspective to ensure that people are included in decision-making tables at every level of society.

It is a general comment but I want to give an assurance that throughout the passage of this Bill, I have been keen to point out that we see a significant role for the commission to play in transforming our political system to include everybody, including young people and people from minority backgrounds, in our political system. This will transform how we as politicians engage in that as well. I hope I gave an assurance in that regard.