Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

In most cases such bodies are established by legislation, which also sets out a range of functions and responsibilities possessed by the Minister and the parent Department, as well as the Minister for Finance and the Department of Finance. In most cases these include the functions to be performed by that body, the submission of annual reports and accounts, borrowing, pay and pension matters, recruitment of staff, increases in fees or prices, as well as a range of other matters peculiar to individual bodies. Ministers also set out the general policy to be followed by individual bodies. When all such matters are considered, it seems extraordinary that one would contemplate removing from the Ministers, who are obliged to perform this large range of functions, the power to choose and appoint the boards and chairpersons of these bodies, which are essential to ensuring adherence to the Minister's general guidelines and the State body's responsibilities.

This aspect is one of the great strengths of the present system, namely, that Ministers can approach those who they consider to have the qualities necessary for the bodies under their aegis. In many State companies, there are men and women with vast experience in business or other areas of life who have been willing to accept positions on the boards primarily out of a sense of public duty. I very much doubt whether many such people would wish, as proposed by Deputy Boyle, to reply to advertisements and to go through a competition for positions.

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