Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. We are agreed on the principle but it is not being applied. The Minister mentioned his Department. Following Question Time, we will debate his appointments to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. I never saw the advertisements seeking people to be appointed as an ordinary member or as the new chairperson in the newspaper. The appointments were made in secret behind closed doors and we will rubber-stamp them in the House in a few minutes. I do not object to those who will be appointed but the process was not as outlined by the Minister in reply to this question. Where is the breakdown between his stated policy for his Department and his motion to appoint people to two senior State appointments? He flouted everything he said in his reply to make them.

The board of Irish Water has been appointed. I did not see advertisements for board members. Fine Gael got a councillor on the board. I do not know whether the Labour Party gets a nominee but the Minister might inform us where all these advertisements were placed.

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