Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has asked about the payment of fees to directors. I remind him that the board has a significant workload. Members of the boards of other public sector bodies and agencies are paid substantial stipends for their attendance at board meetings. Sanction for this payment was originally obtained from the Department of Finance in 2005. It was decided that relatively modest fees could be paid to board members from 2007. The logic of the Deputy's contribution seems to be that we should not pay fees to board members of other bodies. Does he believe we should give them nothing in return for their attendance at meetings of such bodies? Perhaps that could be done in the many agencies within the remit of my Department. It would save money. However, we need to be fair to people who are prepared to give of their time. It is only fair that some stipend should be paid. It is obvious that the situation has regressed in recent times.

When the former chief executive of the Equality Authority met me, he admitted that a careful look was necessary. It was a calm meeting. I explained that things would be difficult for me and the authority. I referred to the budget available to me for 2009. I indicated that I was giving priority to the fight against crime. I mentioned that as many as possible of the Department's resources would be used to that end. I assured him that bodies such as the authority would retain their core funding to allow them to proceed. Some members of the board disagreed with this. However, there are still 12 people on the board and two new members have been appointed. Ten remained on the board. They have been unfairly treated in some of the public commentary on the issue. They have agreed, independently of me——

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