Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Unfortunately, I cannot extend the same welcome to the Bill as did the previous speaker. The Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission was quite effective. Everyone knows that this commission was established to depoliticise appointments to the public service. I accept that the latter might not be popular in modern society. The commission served its purpose extremely well. I am sure there have been complaints to the effect that the commission was not adequately selective in terms of determining the precise needs of particular Departments.

Under the Bill, each Department, agency and body will have greater influence on what transpires by way of candidate selection. We must ask whether that is a good development. There has been a great deal of discussion about decentralisation and the notion of dispersing Departments to various parts of the country. We have heard that great welcomes are being extended to these Departments in certain parts of the country.

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