Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I suggest we leave the word "corruption" out of it. Will the Taoiseach agree that he entered government promising a revolution in how the State was governed? Really, we did not get a revolution but rather more of the same and a counter-revolution in many areas in economic and financial matters? In view of the fact that so few of the people who applied to be considered for membership of State boards were appointed by the Taoiseach's Ministers - for example, there were 49 applicants for Léargas, none of whom was appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills - and that many Fine Gael and Labour Party activists, supporters and members have been appointed to the board, is it not true that there is the same old patronage by the Government in making appointments to State boards, with a light coat of varnish of pretend consultation and democracy being the best way to put it? In the two years since he was elected Taoiseach, has he written or spoken to any Minister to look for particular individuals to be appointed to State boards? Who were they? What were their political affiliations? Were they appointed?

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