Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was at a Government meeting of 12 April 2011 that decisions were made to put in place new arrangements inviting expressions of interest in vacancies on boards and agreed that Ministers would not necessarily be confined to those who made expressions of interest. It was decided that those who were being proposed for appointment as chairs would be required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas committee to discuss the approach they would take in the their role as chairperson and their views about the future contribution of the body or board in question, and that following those discussions a decision would be taken by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate, to confirm the nominee as chairperson.

I do not know of any great row that occurred at any of these committee meetings yet, although that may well happen. As the Deputy well knows from experience, it is not all that easy sometimes to get people of competence and expertise to serve on these boards. It takes a particular kind of person to do that but I think, by and large, it has been an opportunity for Members of the House at committee to quiz the proposed appointee. It may not be revolutionary but certainly it allows for an engagement that did not happen previously.

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