Sean Barrett (Independent)

The copyright belongs to Senator Susan O'Keeffe who named them thus. Governance rather than government is the issue. The change of government has taken place, but the governance problems remain. My amendments seek parliamentary scrutiny on the appointment of the Secretary General of the Department and parliamentary scrutiny of performance.

I am speaking in the context of the Government having decided there should be parliamentary oversight of the appointment of chairmen of State bodies, which I recall having read. This should apply also to the board members. If we are to change to a new model of governance and bring Parliament into the process, which we sincerely want to do, the reform agenda should include a more active parliamentary role.

The problems we are addressing now include a lack of oversight, as noted in the Wright report, and the whole problem developed a momentum of its own which lead to financial collapse, without the direct involvement of the Parliament. In the spirit that is already recognised in regard to the appointment of chairmen of State boards, and which I believe should extend to the other board members, the Minister and his Cabinet colleagues might wish to consider some role for Seanad Éireann in the appointment of the Secretaries General of Departments, as in the United States Senate. Parliament needs to restrain the power of the Executive and of the Civil Service, which is one of the lessons I take from our need to be rescued by the IMF.

I propose that the section would state that the officer in question should report back to Parliament on all the matters we have included. This must succeed and Parliament must be involved because, as the Minister said, the problems are so grave.

I am encouraged by the Minister's earlier address to Transparency International. Were he to accept these amendments, he might get life membership of Transparency International. The purpose is to assist and reform, which is vital, and I ask for the amendments to be considered in that light. The House and certainly the Independent Senators will assist the Minister in every way to accomplish his goals, which are of huge importance for everybody in the country. As this could be helpful to him in that regard, I propose it in that spirit.