Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)

The local communities want control of their boards of management to remain local. They know who they want on the boards and there are strict controls in place.

We need to clear up the confusion in respect of some appointments and what is proposed in the Bill goes a long way towards clearing out some of the problems. It is akin to the system governing the appointment of judges, which was introduced in 1996. When appointments to the Judiciary are to be made, judges can express interest and there is a panel of review. It is important that at the final stages, two or three names are nominated to the Minister, who makes the final decision. That is a good system because it gives the Minister the opportunity to determine the situation. For example, difficulties may have arisen during the process. It is healthy that the Minister shoulders the responsibility, as it instils public interest and confidence in what we are doing and is worthwhile.

What would the public say if an appointment was made by a board of adjudicators? We must know who is making the appointment. We do business by having the Minister responsible for making the appointment. An aspect of the Bill that must be strengthened relates to the Minister's responsibility.

In that context, I compliment Deputy Boyle for introducing the Bill, as it is difficult to try to draw up a Bill and get it drafted properly. He has done a great job. It is interesting the Bill has provoked this worthwhile discussion, during which we will hear many contributions.

I want clarification on another aspect relating to appointments that is overlooked in the Bill, namely, the matter of State boards such as Bord na Móna. Currently, provision is made for worker directors who form an integral part of the boards. While I have not served on a State board, I know former worker directors who did excellent jobs and provided a vital input in the management of the boards. The Bill must provide for that practice. On the next stage, perhaps Deputy Boyle will include a section to preserve the State boards.

I am approaching my swan song in the House, as I will retire in a relatively short time. As politicians, we must shoulder our responsibility to the House and we cannot run away from our decisions. We must stop forming bodies and quangos and appointing all sorts of people to them. In some cases, the people do good jobs. In other cases, the jobs they do might not be as good.

Responsibility must rest with the Minister. For example, I do not doubt that the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, will take responsibility for failing to spend €56 million in the Office of Public Works last year. He will not blame his officials for not spending the money quickly enough, preparing the plans, upgrading Garda stations that should have been upgraded or carrying out necessary flood works or tasks in respect of public parks. As he should, he will take responsibility for the €56 million, which could have been used, that he handed back to the Exchequer. Let us not run down the road of giving that responsibility to someone else, such as the commissioners of the OPW, who will hide while the Minister of State says he has no responsibility for the matter. It would not be good enough.

Deputy Boyle might consider another matter when he is summing up. Some people who could do excellent jobs on State boards might not want to put their names forward in answer to advertisements. I will identify someone who is outside the House, but he will not mind, namely, Mr. David Andrews. A former Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Government appointed him chairman of the Irish Red Cross. He is an ideal person for the role, as he has the contacts, management skills and intelligence to do a good job.

Can the Minister of State countenance a situation in which the Government is looking for a board for the Irish Red Cross? Mr. Andrews would not send in his curriculum vitae or say he was the man for the job. We must provide for the Minister, in the heel of the hunt, to be able to make the appointment. If someone such as Mr. Andrews is available, he or she should be able to enter the fray rather than be excluded by virtue of the fact he or she did not answer an advertisement. There must be flexibility. It returns to the point I am harping upon, that is, Ministers must live up to their responsibilities. The day of slipping out from under that responsibility and getting someone else to form a board is gone.

Fine Gael supports the reading of the Bill on Second Stage, as many of its aspects have merit. We would like additional elements and, while section 5 relates, a firmer provision to the effect that responsibility lies with the Minister.

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