Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, for his response. I wish to recap on the position we were at a week ago when the legislation was introduced into the House on an emergency basis. Twelve illegal appointments have been made to the PRTB to date. While I understand the Minister, Deputy Gormley, is not involved in the operational day-to-day running of the board, ultimately, the buck stops with him regarding these illegal appointments because he signed off on them. When we debated this issue on 9 October 2008, I asked the Minister five times how it came to his attention that two illegal appointments had been made but he failed to reply on each occasion. I also suggested that he should carry out an audit of other appointments to the PRTB, which he also failed to do. How did the issue of the ten illegal appointments come to the Minister of State's attention? I have a fair idea how it happened but I would like him to put on record how that came about.

Daily fees are €600 and €387. What is the current caseload? Has anybody in the Department read the Act? Both myself and my personal assistant have read it back to front and the illegal appointments did not result from a misinterpretation of the legislation. The Act is explicit on this matter, the illegal appointment of two councillors and the synchronisation of appointments to the DRC and the PRTB.

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