Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

No. In fact, to make it even stronger and clearer I am producing a standardised approach to appointments. Even the early reforms have been a quantum leap from where we were. There was a situation here for several years whereby no information could be given to anyone because of secret deals signed off between the Government of the day and a number of Independents.

One significant change is that chairpersons of State boards will go before Oireachtas committees to discuss their appointments, the criteria they bring and their suitability for appointment in the first place. As of today, the five chairpersons appointed by the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, have appeared before the relevant Oireachtas committees to discuss their appointments.

Several Departments have made a significant number of appointments. Of 23 appointments made in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, 12 came through the public route. Three of the new appointments made by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources are highly qualified people who applied after a call for applications. The Minister for Finance sought expressions of interest for appointments to the board of directors of the recapitalised banks and now has available to him a panel of 30 names of suitably qualified individuals for possible appointment to bank boards. I realise there was some comment in the media to the effect that all Departments were not following the criteria set down. I do not have all the detail but I gather in several of these cases no appointments or few were made by those Departments but I will check this as a matter of interest.

The policy we have set out is being enhanced and I will shortly bring before all Ministers a standardised form for the appointment of State board chairpersons and ordinary appointees. As Deputy Martin is aware, any judicial appointments are made by the Government. They arise through the judicial appointments advisory board and are approved on the nomination of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

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