Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is a generous thing for IBEC to have done, as it too has been subject to abuse from the quarter responsible for this pantomime tonight, but I suspect those involved in IBEC know the importance of making progress on the crucial issue of pensions is more important than petty political point scoring. Yet that is precisely the calling card of the main mover of this motion tonight.

Deputy Ross is the archetypal hurler on the ditch. He is quintessentially a man of the system who pretends to rail against it. He is the original advocate of reckless capitalism. He is the bankers' friend who is now masquerading as the people's champion. He is a man whose membership of the media community is essential to his chameleon persona. That Deputy Ross has chosen to table this motion is not surprising. However, I confess I am a little surprised that he is joined by Deputies Halligan and Finian McGrath whom I did not think shared Deputy Ross's hostility to organised labour. There are men who like to posture on the left but whose new political allies call them out.

There are many things that could be debated in this slot tonight - important issues - but this is not one of them. The Tánaiste is part of a Government that has put in place a transparent appointments system for this State that will last for generations. It was a brave and wise decision that will change that system for ever. The charge of cronyism would appear to hang on a phrase used by the Tánaiste that Mr. Begg assisted our party in the process of another breakthrough decision by this Government to legislate for collective bargaining rights. That is what trade unionists do. Or one could ask whether it is more basic that the appointment of a trade union figure is to be portrayed as a Labour appointment per sealthough Congress, the body of which Mr. Begg served as general secretary, is in no way affiliated to the Labour Party and contains both affiliated and unaffiliated unions. There are trade unionists who vote for all parties in this House and none. When others were appointed to positions in the past this charge was never made against them. Had any of my Fine Gael counterparts made this appointment, or a Minister of any other party, we would not be having this debate. That is the plain truth of the matter.

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