Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Morgan proposes that the nominee should be approved by and take directions from the Oireachtas. The nominee is a person to whom the Minister, in effect, delegates his shareholding. The nominee could be the National Treasury Management Agency or a vehicle established for the management of the company and clearly it is inappropriate that the Minister's nominee should be appointed by the Oireachtas because the nominee's line of accountability would be with the Minister in respect of the shareholding the Minister has. The nominee is stepping into the shoes and acting on behalf of the Minister and I would then become accountable to the Oireachtas for my actions and the actions of a nominee were I to have one. That is the position.

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