Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Bill and I am very disappointed to hear the Minister state that the Government will reject the Bill. That is a mistake. The Bill may not be perfect but it could be amended. It is a very important Bill and the Government should fly a flag to state it is willing to make changes and ensure that openness, transparency and accountability are introduced throughout the public service. This is particularly so for Members of the Green Party who, when in Opposition, proposed a similar Bill which contained similar structures to what we are discussing this evening. Now that they are on the other side of the House they are bringing down the shutters and keeping everything under wraps and behind closed doors with appointments made in private.

The political establishment has lost favour with the electorate. A series of bad news stories on the abuse of power, or perceived abuse of power, and a failure by some to live up to the standards required of those of us who operate in public service has undermined confidence in the structures of the State. That is wrong and is unfair to the many individuals who want to serve the electorate and give of their time and expertise to the State. We can all point to incidents where individuals did not fulfil their obligations to the public, the taxpayers and stakeholders. The tribunals have been well documented and their published findings have shocked many members of the public. Their findings have been deeply disappointing and the public has become cynical not only of the politicians who represent them but also of those who have served in public office. The facts have been laid bare and recent reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General into the activities of FÁS are factual and tangible.

Another area the Bill proposes to tackle is allegations of cronyism and jobs for the boys and suggestions that it is all about who one knows and that if one supports the Government parties of the day one will receive favours and be appointed to State boards. This insinuates that it is not about one's knowledge, personal skills or the contribution one can make. This thinking undermines confidence in many of our State institutions. Now is the time to put things right and to ensure we put in place a more transparent system of appointment to our State boards for the good of politics and, more importantly, for the good name of our State institutions that have served this country so well in many ways. They need to have the confidence of those they serve.

All parties in the House should support a more transparent system that would see those appointed as CEOs and chairmen to State boards come before an Oireachtas committee and give an account of their attributes. I am sure many people would be glad of the opportunity to come before a committee in a public and open fashion and participate in a question and answer session, give of their time and hear what Members of the Oireachtas have to say about the State board on which they are due to serve.

It is very important to renew public confidence in our State institutions. I do not accept what many contributors said that it could amount to a witch-hunt. That would not be the case. The qualifications and expertise of the individuals would come into question along with their ability to serve. Many people serve on State boards and give their very valuable time. We acknowledge that but in the interests of openness and transparency, a move towards a public appointments system is what is needed.

I was interested to read a report in one of today's newspapers about yesterday's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting. I was not in attendance but perhaps the Minister for Finance was. The report stated that a backbencher questioned the appointment of the chairwoman to the Arts Council. The Tánaiste is reported to have been upset that the matter was raised at a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting. I believe she said she said she may as well talk about it on the streets and that the Deputy should have raised it privately with her. The report also stated there are allegations that there are concerns in Fianna Fáil that too many of the same people are getting the same jobs and that there is fishing from the same pool all the time. Perhaps the Minister for Finance can clarify that.

The report to which I have referred sums up exactly what we are about this evening. Why not have these appointments out in the open? I am sure the individuals appointed would be willing to discuss their relevant attributes. The Tánaiste's reported comments from yesterday's parliamentary party meeting sum up the thinking on the opposite side of the House.

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