Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked whether I had met the Taoiseach. I met the Taoiseach, along with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputies Noonan and Howlin, briefly on Monday following a Cabinet sub-committee meeting. As the Deputy probably knows, there are a lot of Cabinet sub-committee meetings on a Monday. What I was focused on and remain focused on in regard to this particular series of events is that we should have in this State a system of appointment to State boards which actually ensures that the people appointed are the best range and mix of people to carry out efficiently and effectively the functions of the State board. I am happy to say that, in the brief discussion on Monday between myself, the Taoiseach, Deputy Noonan and Deputy Howlin, I proposed, and it was accepted, that we have a memo for Government, which the Minister, Deputy Howlin, was preparing at that point, in regard to appointments to State boards. I am happy to say the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday agreed to that.

With regard to State boards, if we look at the volume of public business, the volume of turnover and the thousands of people who are employed in different State organisations, we can see that it is important to have really qualified people on State boards, coming from a range of backgrounds. It is important that they come from business backgrounds and have experience of HR or public service, and, indeed, that they do not all, for example, come from Dublin 4 but from right around Ireland. We need a blend and a mix of people. The jobs of tens of thousands of workers in the public sector depend on efficient and effective functioning of the State board by which they are employed, and so do the public finances.

The Deputy also asked about my view in regard to the number of people on the IMMA board. I have always been a very regular visitor to IMMA. It is one of my favourite places in Dublin, as I am sure it is for lots of other people. To be honest, I do not have a view other than that I want to see the collections that are held by IMMA-----

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