Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The amendment seeks to limit the term of a chief executive to be renewable only once. Currently, the Bill provides that the chief executive can have a five-year term and may be reappointed, but not for more than ten years sequentially at a time. This amendment would seek to only allow two terms to the chief executive and no more than that.

I spoke earlier about accountability and transparency. In other positions of great public importance, such as Chief Justice, there is a fixed term and a recognition that an individual should not hold onto such a large amount of power, for example, in a number of election cycles, for a long or indefinite period. I have suggested here that it might be only renewable once. It could be renewable twice but I am concerned that, as the Bill provides, it could be for a large number of renewable periods, including a period of ten years, and we could be looking at decades.

We have seen in other countries, for example, the difference five years or ten years can make in electoral processes. I do not like to name other places or jurisdictions but look at, for example, some of the potential diminution in voting rights in the United States in a short period. It is important that a position is not held for a prolonged period. A ten-year appointment is too long; two to three renewals should be sufficient.

Amendment No. 8 deletes the provisions around the length of time. I will withdraw that amendment because amendment No. 7 is my preference. In fact, I will not move amendment No. 8. It was a kind of alternative. I will concentrate on my preferred amendment, which is amendment No. 7.

Amendment No. 10 seeks to add to the provision that where it is proposed that a chief executive should be removed from office, he or she can make representations on his or her own behalf to members of the commission. My amendment simply requires that a record of such consultations or representations would be kept. Again, it is important around the transparency and process of a removal. I urge the Minister of State to accept the amendment. This is a significant role with significant powers with potential regard to democracy in our country. Transparency in respect of all decisions is crucial.