Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wrote to the Taoiseach on 3 July in regard to the delay in filling the position of Secretary General Clerk of the Dáil post which is to become vacant on 5 August 2013. The Clerk will retire tomorrow and we might have an opportunity to speak on that.

I wrote a lengthy letter to the Taoiseach in which I pointed out that the process relating to the appointment of the Clerk or Secretary General of the Dáil should be transparent and accountable. In December 2012 the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, gave a commitment to amend the Staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas Act 1959, which he described as being outmoded and in need of change. His predecessor in the Department of Finance made similar comments in 2009. During a Topical Issue debate on 15 May 2013, the Minister stated:

I believe the objective in filling top posts of the Houses of the Oireachtas service should be to employ professionally organised and independent competitive selection mechanisms such as those that exist throughout the wider Civil Service to ensure the best possible person is selected from as wide a pool of talent as possible to lead the parliamentary service in future.

I accept that the nomination of a suitable candidate for appointment by the Taoiseach rests solely with the Ceann Comhairle, following consultation with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. In light of all of the pledges made in respect of public and transparent selection processes and in view of the way in which the House has modernised and evolved to date, will the Taoiseach indicate the current status of the legislation in respect of which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, made a commitment? Is it the Taoiseach's intention that the process relating to filling the position in question will be as wide-ranging and transparent as possible and that it will reflect the spirit of the programme for Government? There have been commitments from those on all sides to the effect that as wide as possible a range of people should be in a position to apply for consideration under the selection process.

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