Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the Deputy would like to follow the facts on this issue, I took a decision to reappoint the board in July 2018, as the Deputy rightly said. In my letter of reappointment, I specifically referenced the fact that in this House we would be passing the Children's Health Ireland legislation, which would give me, as Minister, powers as to replacing that board, should I decide to do so. The Deputy voted in favour of that and I do not believe she brought forward any amendments to alter that reality and I was given powers at the end of 2018 in relation to that board that I did not have in advance of that. I took the decision to reappoint the board in its entirety to provide continuity for the delivery of a project. This was a competency-based board. The Deputy has been judge and jury on its performance. It was a competency-based board, appointed originally by my predecessors in the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government, of competent individuals who are doing their very best to deliver a major piece of infrastructure for our country. I now have powers under the Children's Health Ireland legislation to replace that board should I decide to do so and I will be led in relation to any governance and personnel changes by the PwC report.

The Deputy has decided the board has done a really bad job. The evidence to that effect has not yet been gathered and we should afford people due process in that regard. This is a competency-based board. We are often criticised as politicians for putting cronies on boards. This was a situation where people with the professional qualifications required to deliver a major infrastructure were asked to serve, and they did. I was pleased to reappoint the board in its entirety but its reappointment was pending the completion of the legislation in this House, and I made that very clear in my letter of reappointment, that I would have new powers by the end of the year and then I would decide what to do.

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