Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

I make no apology for such a system, which has been tried and tested and has been shown to work. Approximately 500 public bodies have boards and as many such boards have up to ten or 12 members, it can be seen that the numbers involved are large. A vast range of experience, skills and background is required to ensure the composition of the board of each body is appropriate. A balance must be struck in the composition of boards, which require qualities including sectoral knowledge, business experience, technical expertise or the representative voices of those served by a particular organisation. In some cases the legislation establishing the body in question might also specify worker representation or that elected representatives, Departments, local authorities or sectoral bodies be represented on boards.

Ministers must have flexibility to choose members of boards. The range of skills and experience required for the board of a major commercial State company is significantly different to that required for a small, regulatory body of the kind of which there are several under the aegis of, for example, the Department of Health and Children. A Minister with sectoral responsibility for such bodies will be aware of the needs of these organisations and is best placed to approach those who he or she considers most suited for the board in question.

It is normal commercial practice for the shareholder to nominate the board to look after the shareholder's interests. In the case of commercial semi-State bodies, the Minister with financial responsibility for the area will nominate people to the board while taking account of the type of company involved. The Minister for Finance as shareholder or joint shareholder is consulted on the nomination. I do not see anything wrong with the existing system and the success of the commercial State bodies over the years supports the view that the boards nominated by various Governments have worked well.

Deputy Boyle's Bill does not have due regard for the nature of State bodies in Ireland. State bodies report to the Minister who has sectoral responsibility for them and the relevant joint committees of the Houses already have authority, if they wish to exercise it, to call before them the chairmen and top management of each State body.

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