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

I want to ask a number of questions regarding the appointment of Mr. John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA. On Friday last, the Taoiseach issued an apology, saying: "I wouldn't say it was my finest hour and I take responsibility for this having evolved to what people might imagine it is." That apology calls for a far greater degree of clarification. People are wondering what exactly he was apologising for, because he did not say precisely. People did not imagine this; it happened. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht appointed Mr. McNulty to the board of IMMA, albeit for two weeks. In so doing, the Government used IMMA, an institution with considerable artistic status and an achievement on behalf of the country, as a political tool. He was clearly appointed to give him suitable qualifications to contest the Seanad by-election on the Cultural and Educational Panel. Despite the fact that the Minister wished Mr. McNulty every success in his tenure only last Tuesday in the Seanad, he resigned on Friday, which raises a question: how could he, in her words, "bring his considerable talents and abilities" to serve effectively a board that he could not serve on for longer than a couple of weeks?

Will the Taoiseach clarify when it was decided that Mr. McNulty would be the Seanad by-election candidate? Did he or anybody on his behalf ask, direct or suggest to the Minister that Mr. McNulty be appointed to the board of IMMA? Why was it decided to appoint someone to the board of a national institution when it was clear that the person could not serve for longer than a few weeks? Why appoint someone who had not even applied for the position in question?

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