Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

One of the more radical initiatives in this area, which was introduced by the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, was the giving of power and authority to committees to make appointments to State boards, in particular in the area of broadcasting. That initiative brought about real change in terms of committees having a role in making appointments to the commission and so on. It was a real innovation. We have not had any initiatives of that type from this Government. There has been no fundamental or substantive change in this area by Government, in particular when one measures what has been done against what was promised.

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