Mr. Gerry Kearney:

I set out clearly the interests of the board in ensuring that we have adequate discretions. There is an acceptance as well about the accountability that goes with it. It is not simply about the Oireachtas and Government losing control. There is also a trade-off in terms of increased accountability. We have raised questions in relation to the remit of the Minister, particularly under head 9.3. We would certainly welcome that as something the Department may wish to look at through the drafting process.

On a final point before I hand over to the CEO, the response to our points is not reflected in the general scheme because the general scheme came to the committee before the response. The board responded fairly positively to the feedback from the Department in understanding the points we raised and seeing they had a reasonable legitimacy. The code of practice already applies to the board and to the body, and that is not an alternative.

In response to Deputy Coppinger's point, we are moving the concert hall closer to the firmament of the public service by placing it on a statutory basis and by explicitly making the staff effectively public servants where their entitlements and pension arrangements travel with them. That is an alternative perspective, as opposed to taking them off a statutory basis and pushing them into a private company which would be quite a different discourse. I acknowledge the points she raised. I met staff last week and addressed that point - the importance of their participation, their understanding and their reassurance that their terms and conditions are preserved in the new arrangement.