Seanad Éireann - 13/Dec/2011 Order of Business

Seanad Éireann - 13/Dec/2011 Order of Business: I call for a debate on appointments. An issue was raised by a number of colleagues last week concerning the appointment of the Irish representative to the Council of Europe’s Committee on the Prevention of Torture. The person appointed from Ireland last week was the former Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality. Valid concerns were raised by colleagues about the outcome of the appointment process. It was understood somebody else would be appointed. I have asked the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality to investigate the matter in the new year as it is something it should do. The Minister for Justice and Equality should appear before the committee to explain the process by which the former Secretary General was appointed against what appears to have been the expressed preference of a sub-committee of the Council of Europe for one of the two academics also nominated by Ireland.?