Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I regard what the Government is doing here as a major advancement. I can point to a number of performances that certainly were less than adequate on the basis of what happened previously where people were appointed on the basis of friendship as distinct from ability or talent. On many occasions I have made the point that what we are about here is changing the system and I am not sure where the former Minister, Mr. Eamon Ryan, is at the moment, but certainly the position adopted by the Government now is very much removed from that which applied for very many years here. As the Deputy is aware what we have put in place is that people will respond to public notices about the requirements and the range of competencies involved in the appointment to the chairmanship of any State board or agency. Where casual vacancies arise, the spectrum and pool of talent will be very much broadened now because people will respond to public notices on the availability of places on boards or agencies and will be considered in that context.

The Deputy sat on the front bench on the Government side when I asked the former Taoiseach whether it was on the basis of ability or friendship that many of the appointments were made and he said it was on the basis of friendship. What we are about here is talent and ability. The changes in the system of openness through parliamentary questions and the committee system will lead to oversight here. It is a very major advancement from where we were. We want to see the best men and women, who are willing to take on these positions of importance, take them up and play their part in the development of the country. We want to see that talent given its best opportunity to express itself.

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