Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I referred to patronage and choice; I did not say they are synonymous. The use of the word "discernment" gives the Minister a power he or she should not have. One of the great curses of political life in this country is that all parties, when they get into power, look after their own. I referred in my initial contribution to the Judiciary and the Garda, where we find more obvious examples of this type of thing because those institutions are more prolific than the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Nevertheless, the administration of these Houses is an important issue. It is indicative of the persistence of the political culture that there is to be no change in this regard. Indeed, the discernment which Ministers have in the making of appointments, as referred to by the Minister, is now being extended to the Ceann Comhairle.

I hoped but did not expect there would be a change in the political culture, led by this House, such that this type of ministerial power, the power of patronage and preference, would be taken out of the political arena. The Ceann Comhairle is, after all, a politician, whether we like it or not. The Ceann Comhairle is elected and is part of the culture, even though, in theory, he or she is a person of impeccable character and infinite and infallible qualities. That is not quite the case in practice, but it is the kind of fiction we are supposed to believe in. I had hoped this House might set an example and be the forerunner in effecting a change in the political culture, but that is not to be. The Minister knows as well as we do that the use of political power, especially in the allocation of top jobs, has been abused by all parties since the foundation of the State. It has been abused to the extent that people who are blatantly not qualified are promoted into positions which are beyond their abilities. They are promoted because they are members of political parties and have served those parties well. They pop up with qualifications, some of which are fig leafs and others genuine, and are appointed, with extraordinary regularity not just to semi-State bodies, but to the Bench and to the top of the Garda in positions to which they probably would not be promoted if they were not of a certain political colour.

Unfortunately, that type of practice is not going to end. The retirement of the last Clerk gave us an opportunity to reform such practices in this House. It is very unfortunate that the opportunity is being forfeited. I regret it but am not surprised by it.

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