Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Are we being told that there are absolutely no people with private sector experience who are fit persons to hold a senior position in the public service? That is what the Minister of State is implying. Surely his own Department, which deals day to day with enterprise, ought to be open to bringing some of those people and those skills in-house. Can the Department not employ somebody as the Department of Finance has done or is the latter saying that different rules apply to other Departments?

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