(1) The Minister shall, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, appoint a person to be registrar of the Commission from among persons -

(a) who are practising barristers or practising solicitors, and

(b) in respect of whom a recommendation for the purposes of this section has been made by the Public Appointments Service consequent upon the holding of a competition in accordance with the Act of 2004.

(2) Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) shall not apply in respect of the registrar first appointed after the passing of this Act.

(3) The registrar of the Commission shall hold office on such terms and conditions (including terms and conditions relating to remuneration) as the Minister, with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determines.

(4) In this section -

"practising barrister" includes a person who is serving in a position (appointment to which was conditional upon the person's having been called to the Bar of Ireland and standing enrolled as a barrister in the State) in the Civil Service of the Government or the Civil Service of the State;