Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am not responsible for the pre-election promises the Taoiseach made. He should allow himself to be judged by the commitments he made. He can comment all he likes on previous governments and previous Ministers. He was also a Minister and he appointed in accordance with tradition, friendship, Fine Gael trustees and so on like that. Does the Taoiseach not agree that the system the Government is putting before us does not represent any major advance at all? We are just talking about chairpersons and no other member of a State agency is required to appear before a committee or will need to present in any shape or form. Ministers are already suggesting to people to apply. The word on the street is that people think they are in line for preferment on to a State board. There is a bit of a mirage going on here. Does the Taoiseach not agree that this is about the appearance of change rather than the substance of change? Why will he not consider broadening the system that the former Minister, Mr. Eamon Ryan, introduced? I say that irrespective of what political affiliation Mr. Eamon Ryan had. He initiated a significant breakthrough in appointments to State agencies-----

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