Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. The Bill before the House has nothing to do with Irish soccer and is not about the grannies and grandads of new CEOs. Under its provisions, the questions to be put to candidates would relate to their credentials and expertise and not to their families or what they had for breakfast. It is important to clarify that point. If the Deputies opposite read the contributions already made by Members on this side, they might come to realise what we are trying to achieve.

During the debate on another motion last week, I referred to the desire for a new kind of politics. This Bill is another step in that direction. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, and others are missing the point in respect of this matter. Members of the public want a new kind of politics and they want to see changes introduced to the system. They want accountability, responsibility and action and are fed up with Ministers establishing bodies and committees to carry out research and make decisions. People no longer want to hear, "We will make a decision in six months' time when we receive a report". The people elect politicians and Ministers to lead and make decisions. We waited approximately eight or nine months for an bord snip nua's report but any Member could have compiled it. There was no need to employ someone else to write that report. What are Members doing here?

The Bill is an attempt to restore accountability in respect of what happens in State bodies and boards. It suggests that a procedure be put in place in order that the names of all appointees be placed before the Houses and that the chairpersons of boards should present themselves to the relevant committees for a discussion regarding their credentials and their plans for the position in respect of which they have been nominated. It is quite simple. We are not blaming anyone or stating that people have done anything wrong. We are merely stating that a new system which will restore accountability and show the public that we are willing to put in place a proper system. What is wrong with following the example of the United States or other countries? We must learn from the political systems in which people believe.

The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, stated that there is no need for the Bill. He also stated that everyone wants to promote the public interest. The issue is that people no longer believe that. They have lost faith in the House and in how it does its business. We have a duty to act fast in order to restore that faith.

Government Ministers do not realise that the election of President Obama in the United States has raised the bar for everyone involved in politics. The standard set by President Obama is that which people want all politicians to meet. A few weeks after taking office, President Obama named those who were to serve in the equivalent of our Cabinet. He indicated that these people were to perform certain jobs, that they would be obliged to discuss with him what they wished to achieve and that he would make the final decision, for which he would be accountable. I am not stating that we want the Taoiseach to be responsible for everything. However, President Obama stated that he is accountable and that if something goes wrong, it will be his fault. That is not the way matters operate in this country but it should be.

Deputy Varadkar's Bill will start us on the road towards having a system of that nature. It refers to people who are nominated for appointment to top jobs being obliged to come before the relevant committees of the Houses and outlining their qualifications. This would give Members on all sides the opportunity to pose the relevant questions. As already stated, such questions would not relate to what sport someone plays but would rather focus on his or her qualifications, expertise and plans. It is not rocket science. What we are seeking would be easy to implement.

There are close to 1,000 public bodies in existence. Earlier today I discovered that in future the NRA will be responsible for filling in potholes on county roads. I was under the impression that this was the job of the county council.

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