Arising from what the Minister stated in connection with paragraph 5 (1) of the Schedule, which states that where a member of the council is nominated as the candidate to either House of the Oireachtas he shall, therefore, cease to be a member of the council. I am not pressing the Minister to change that at this juncture, but I believe it is an outmoded requirement. It has been in all legislation for the past eight or nine years. It was not there 12 or 14 years ago. It came in gradually and there does not seem to be any reason why somebody should stand inoperative while he might be a candidate. If he became a member, it is obviously all right for him to have to retire, but that provision might be looked at generally and some more acceptable modification put into future legislation. I am not objecting to it at the present stage. We can suffer under it for one more Bill.
Private Business. - Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 1973: Committee and Final Stages.
It might, too, at some future time.
I realise there is a habit of putting this in whether it is good or bad. This is something to be discussed in a general way, but this might not be the appropriate assembly in which to discuss this principle. It used not to apply but it has come in during the last decade or so and the Parliamentary Draftsman simply stretches for his list of precedents and this is thrown in without looking at whether or not it is appropriate to any particular measure.
I accept the generosity of Senator Quinlan in being prepared to leave it over for this time. I will certainly look into it. It might be of interest to the House to know that, in relation to the new National Economic and Social Council which the Government proposes to set up they do not propose to impose this restriction on Members of the Oireachtas. Therefore, it would be open to Members of the Oireachtas to be a member of that council. Perhaps this will be the forerunner of better things.
A slightly different principle is involved.