Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In this instance, the Minister does not need to micromanage or investigate anything. He knows the facts. Some €300,000 has already been spent on a recruitment process and a panel was established that, as the Minister rightly pointed out, was in place for many years. Will the Minister intervene and write to, telephone or make a friendly suggestion to the management concerned to the effect that it is not prudent and does not represent a good use of public money to set up an alternative recruitment process? It is that straightforward.

My information is that, of the 53 posts, 28 will be filled by an external recruitment process. I am interested to learn that the Department has not received a formal approach in this regard. The Minister should have a conversation or write a letter to the management concerned.

Bear in mind that those who went through the very rigorous procedure to get on the panel had a legitimate expectation that as and when vacancies arose they would be considered and placed. They have had that expectation dashed. In a two-fold way, the Minister said he cannot stand over, and that they should not stand over, further spending of public moneys and that at a minimum those already on the panel should be given the option to go forward for these positions. This is not about micro-management but about asking the Minister to be a common sense kind of Cabinet Minister.

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