Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have listened with interest to the debate and the characterisation of the appointment process of Mr. David Begg as a secret clause when it was anything but. It was highly publicised how a chairman could be appointed. One might not necessarily agree with it, but it was highly publicised. There was nothing secret or untoward about it. By and large, the way people are appointed to State boards has been reformed by the Government, although perhaps not as much as I would like. Like most of the reforms carried out by the Government, they may seem huge to people who have been in the system for ten, 15 or 20 years but to others newer to the system, they seem less revolutionary, to put it mildly. It is interesting that nobody on any side of the House has suggested Mr. Begg is not qualified.

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