Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was interested in the Deputy's initial comment because she referred to appointments in the context of what she described as cronyism and corruption. If she has evidence of corruption with regard to any appointment made by the Government, I would certainly like to hear it. If she has that evidence, she should send it to the appropriate authorities forthwith. I know she does not mean it in that sense, but somebody outside the House might take the view that when she mentioned that word, she had evidence of corrupt practices of persons who might have been appointed.

With regard to her comments about the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, more than half of those appointed to agencies of his Department were available for appointment from off the list. Clearly, public servants who do not apply are appointed to these boards, and if a person is reappointed, he or he does not apply either.

Five questions were put to me.

The first question was about the appointments I had made to State boards; the second was about new procedures; in the third I was asked for a report on the role of my Department in co-ordinating a whole of government approach; while the fourth was about recent appointments to State boards and any appointment I had made to a State board. I have answered these questions.

On the question about the public advertising of vacancies, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport published on its website an advertisement seeking expressions of interest in appointments as chairpersons of the boards of CIE companies and the Railway Procurement Agency and also to the boards of agencies under the aegis of that Department. It also advertised on its website vacancies arising before the end of 2011 on the boards of bodies under its aegis. These included An Post, Bord na Móna and Ordnance Survey Ireland. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht advertised for board members for the National Concert Hall, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Arts Council. The Department of Finance sought expressions of interest in appointments to the boards of directors of the recapitalised banks. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine advertised vacancies on the boards of Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Coillte and the National Stud. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs advertised vacancies in the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board and so on. The Department of Social Protection advertised vacancies at the Citizens Information Board.

People were appointed following requests for expressions of interest in the filling of vacancies. I will cite some examples. The chief executive of Fujitsu was appointed to Eirgrid. The head of regulation and public policy at O2 Ireland was also appointed to Eirgrid. The chair of the Accenture Institute for Public Services Value, a member of the Smurfit Business School advisory board, Vivienne Jupp, was appointed as chairperson of CIE. The chairperson of Bord Bia is the chairman of Jacob Fruitfield in Ireland, Mr. Michael Carey, who has held senior positions in a number of multinational food companies. The managing director of Global Intelligence, Ms Rhona Holland, was appointed to Bord Bia. People with exceptional competency and experience cannot be forced to apply for these positions.

The responsibility of the Department of the Taoiseach is to set out the requirements. Ministers bring forward nominations for chairpersons of boards who make themselves available to Oireachtas committees. This is a valuable progression. They express their views and inform the committees of what they intend to bring to the board in question. The committee concerned and the Government then consider their applications.

If Deputy Mary Lou McDonald has evidence of corrupt practices engaged in by anyone, I suggest she send the information to the appropriate authorities.

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