Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reason I have done that is because of the cronyism of the Government and the criticism of other governments. I have done so because I do not believe the way these jobs are being filled currently is right. I do not ever wish the appointments boards to bypass proper process. What I have done is suggest names as alternatives to the cronyism and I will continue to do that, because that is my job.

Let me get back now to this important motion. David Begg is not the issue.

The Government, today and yesterday, has tried to make the virtues, talents and merits of Mr. David Begg the issue. That is not the issue. The issue is that a process was constructed simply to give the impression that there were some new guidelines for the appointments to semi-State bodies.

The Tánaiste is aware of the nine-page document introduced after much palaver as some sort of fresh approach to the cronyism that existed before under this and previous Governments. The process was first introduced in what was called a model by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, in September last year when he stated, although not in this House, that "today's decision complements the current system with a more structured approach requiring that all appointments to vacancies on State boards must: be advertised openly on the State boards portal, www.stateboards.ie, operated by the Public Appointments Service." That did not happen in this case but the Minister announced that it would be happening now. Why did it not happen in this case?

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