Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that there are lots of issues facing the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, including the operation of the company, pensions and industrial relations which the Deputy has mentioned. As part of the Dáil reform procedures which are already in place, chairpersons are interviewed by the joint committee before their appointment by the Minister. The Deputy had the opportunity to attend that committee meeting in September, raise all of these issues and ask questions. Had the committee not been satisfied with the replies given, it could have made a recommendation that I not proceed with the appointment. The Deputy did not attend that meeting; he really should have been there. He had the opportunity to attend a dedicated session of the committee to raise these concerns directly with the chairperson-designate, but he did not do so.

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