Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

I congratulate the nominees for the ministerial offices. I had a few remarks to make, but it is difficult to make them in just one minute. The appointments are obviously dictated by pressure for promotion rather than any real policy need. That is fair enough in present circumstances. Some years ago, there were many part-timers in the Dáil who pursued their own profession for the best part of the week. We have full-time politicians now and there needs to be a career path for politicians in the Government and in the Opposition. The committees are not fulfilling that role at the moment. There must be a better balance between the Executive and the Parliament, but we do not have a tradition of the powerful committees that might stand up to the Executive, as happens in other parliaments. I will have an opportunity to develop these thoughts in future.

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