Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is actually because the people who apply on StateBoards.ieapply on the basis that they know on which board they would like to serve and the conditions, criteria and skills set necessary to serve on such a board. It is not the Minister who assesses their validity to fit the criteria but the Public Appointments Service system. When it comes back to the Minister with a list of names, they are all deemed to be credible and suitably and appropriately qualified.

When the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board comes before the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice and Equality, the candidates have been assessed by the President of the High Court and an eminent panel. Obviously, they know them better than anybody else in terms of their qualifications and experience. Seven judges were appointed to the Court of Civil Appeal and the appointments were made by the President-designate, the Chief Justice and the President of the High Court. That list of eminent judges came before the Cabinet and was approved unanimously; therefore, things have changed; they are not the same as they were.

What the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has done is set out an entirely new model for State appointments to remove that element of politics such that all appointments will be credible and all appointees will be qualified and appropriate for appointment. It may well be that a Minister may say in keeping with his or her exclusive responsibility, "These people are well known or you do not have enough suitable applicants for what I think we need." Perhaps other applications come through on StateBoards.ie. It is a genuine attempt to transform a system that has been very unclear for many years to a position of clarity, assessment, validation and selection for service on the boards in question. As I said in respect of the Court of Civil Appeal, the seven member panel was selected by very eminent legal personnel.

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