Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

Like Deputy Ó Caoláin, I am disappointed the Government is not taking the amendment on board. Before the election, the Government parties were adamant about how appointments should be made to State boards. Despite the opportunity presented by this amendment to do so, the Government will not accept it. This is evidence of how the Government has talked one game and played another since taking office. In recent weeks, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, announced with great fanfare in the media that he would advertise some roles on boards at his Department. However, a chairman was appointed to the board of Bord na gCon without any such reference to advertising. When the Taoiseach was asked in the Dáil about whether the new chairman would need to appear before any future committee, he replied that, while the chairman would do so, he would stay in place unless he made a total hames of it.

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