Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I have said this before but it may be worth repeating. The view on State boards, for which I have been responsible for the past 11 years, is mistaken. One could take any State board as an example. The National Statistics Board is chaired by Professor Brendan Walsh of University College Dublin and also includes Dr. Patricia O'Hara of the Western Development Commission, two officials from the Department of Finance, one official from the Department of the Taoiseach, two officials from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, two representatives of the farming pillar, two representatives of the business pillar and an ex officio member from the Central Statistics Office. One can examine practically all of the boards to see that their memberships are drawn from a huge pool including employers, trade unions and voluntary pillars. The organisations involved, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and farmers, nominate people from thousands of members, hundreds of thousands of members in the case of trade unions. With practically all of these boards, my right as Taoiseach to appoint board members is nil. In some cases, it is just to appoint an official. That is the way throughout all State boards. It has moved on.

That applies to most boards and is set out in legislation. I cannot recall nominating anyone to a board under my aegis. I am sure I must have somewhere in the past 11 years but the view that I am there with a list is not the case. These are all people nominated by a huge panel. On some of these boards there are members of all parties, including Deputy Ó Caoláin's. To be honest, if I were picking I probably would not choose them. However, that is not what happens. There are two nominating bodies so it could not be more open or expansive. To find some other system that would be more restrictive and not allow a huge broad trawl would work against what the Deputy is requesting. Deputy Ó Caoláin has a mistaken view of how the system operates.

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