Mr. Robert Watt:

The Deputy has chosen two examples of appointments but it is not fair to generalise based on them. I will be very happy to provide the Deputy with the information on how long it takes us to issue an approval to fill a vacancy when the letter is sent to us, and how long it takes for the advertisement to be placed in the paper and for the person to be appointed. That issue has been addressed so there is an opportunity to recruit somebody. The issue was tied up with a variety of other issues and discussions that were taking place between the Oireachtas Commission and our Department. There was not a specific relationship and there were other issues that complicated the matter. It normally does not take that long. Obviously, in the case in question there was a new office. An issue arose over the drafting of the terms of reference, the scope of the job, the grade and so on.