Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I thank the Minister for his reply. He will recall that when I raised this with him previously the issues that had been described to me included an appalling industrial relations record, high turnover of staff and a history of general secretaries being dismissed. I understand the last general secretary was dismissed in 2007 during the course of a dispute and that she was the fifth or sixth general secretary to have been dismissed. The current general secretary is a career civil servant on loan from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The Minister states he does not interfere in the day-to-day running of the organisation. The issue that has been raised with me, and which was raised in the letter sent to the Minister by that person earlier in the year, relates to governance. One of the main allegations is that the chairperson has been reappointed for the fourth time for a three-year tenure and that this reappointment was not greeted internally with any great enthusiasm. The Minister also appoints 14 members to the council of the society. One of the allegations is that these people and the chairman are political appointees to an independent organisation whose work is both national and international.

The Minister referred this letter to the chairman of the society. The alleged issues of governance relate to the board and the chairman and the Minister appoints the board. Has he considered the fact that many of these people have been on the board for a long time and have been reappointed many times? It appears to me that the Minister's hands-off attitude is not appropriate in light of the letter he received earlier this year and the issues I am raising today. He said at the committee meeting that he would reply to me.

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