Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach the appointments made by him since June 2002 to the State boards or other agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28199/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach the names of the persons he has appointed to State boards since 1997; the criteria for qualification for such appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30577/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on appointments made by him since 1997 to State boards and other agencies under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30664/06]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach the persons appointed by him since 1997 to State boards or other agencies under the aegis of his Department; the criteria used in deciding to make an appointment to such a board or agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31612/06]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach if, in respect of any appointment made by him to a State board or agency under the aegis of his Department, he has ever made a declaration of interest as required under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001; the appointments in respect of which such declarations were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32097/06]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.

The information sought by the Deputies concerning the names of persons appointed by me to State boards under my Department's aegis — the National Economic and Social Council, the National Economic and Social Forum, the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, the Law Reform Commission and the National Statistics Board — since June 1997 is set out in a schedule that I am circulating in the Official Report for the information of the House. The schedule also lists appointments made in respect of bodies that no longer come under the aegis of my Department, namely, the Information Society Commission, Digital Media Development Limited and Campus and Stadium Ireland Development, CSID.

The members of State bodies under the aegis of my Department are appointed through well established nominating procedures, having regard to the remit of the bodies and, consequently, to the specific competencies and skills expected of their members. In many instances, members are nominated through relevant nominating panels. The NESC and NESF, for example, comprise representatives of the various pillars involved in social partnership, that is, employer bodies, trade unions, farming organisations and community and voluntary organisations.

I have not made any declaration of interests pursuant to the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 or the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 in regard to appointments to those bodies as the need for such a declaration did not arise.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Commission was an advisory body whose main function was to monitor and advise Government on the development of an Information Society in Ireland. One of the most important of the Commission's tasks was to raise awareness among the public and industry of the opportunities and benefits offered by the Information Society.

The first Information Society Commission ran until November 2001.

The following appointments were made by the Government to the Board of Digital Media Development Limited in April 2000:

Responsibility for both Digital Media Development Limited and MediaLab Europe transferred to the Department of Public Enterprise in May 2001.

The board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development, CSID, was appointed on 29 March 2000. The members were as follows:

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I draw the Taoiseach's attention to part of the code of conduct for officeholders that deals with appointments. The Taoiseach will be familiar with paragraph 2.2.7, which reads as follows:

Subject to provisions in legislation or other formal requirements for the establishment of Government bodies or the filling of positions, appointments by members of the Government should be made on the basis of merit, taking into account the skills, qualifications and experience of the person to be appointed, as well as any other relevant criteria, including, for example, requirements in relation to gender balance.

In a recent very famous broadcast, the Taoiseach said that he made appointments to State boards on the basis that the nominees were friends. Does the appointment of persons to State boards on the basis of their being friends accord with the code of conduct with which officeholders are expected to comply? Perhaps the Taoiseach will comment on that.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Appointments to boards are made on the basis of the knowledge, expertise and experience that an individual can bring to such boards' work. In many cases, appointment is on the basis of nomination by relevant groups, such as the social partners, and the individuals involved agree to serve out of a sense of public duty rather than any monetary consideration. Appointment of the limited number of people whom I consider friends was also based on that criterion, namely, that they had the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience. More than anything else, they were prepared to give up their valuable time to serve on boards. They are not there because they are friends in the sense that they lack the knowledge, expertise and experience.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I have a supplementary question. Does that mean that the Taoiseach's comment that he made appointments on the basis of persons being friends was not true and that the reality was that they were persons known to him who had the requisite knowledge and experience? Did he mean it that way? Was it a matter of knowledge and experience as distinct from friendship? I take his point about people giving of their valuable time to serve on boards, which is obviously always a difficulty. However, I wish to be clear regarding paragraph 2.2.7 in that the Taoiseach now says that appointments made by him were not made on the sole basis that people were friends but rather on the basis of knowledge and experience.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have many friends who, with the greatest respect, lack the knowledge, expertise and experience to serve on boards. The number of those people whom one would appoint is limited, and there is none in my Department because I would not have people involved in certain technical areas such as statistics. However, there are people whom I consider friends with knowledge, experience and expertise and whom I trust, believing that they would give the necessary time and commitment to the task, and those people I would appoint. If I did not believe that they had that expertise or the patriotic sense of being able to give fulsomely of their time, I would not appoint them.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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What about neighbours?

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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In the Taoiseach's response, he commented on appointments to State boards and so on under the aegis of his Department. Did he make representations to other Ministers to have "friends" appointed to other State boards, for instance, Mr. Des Richardson to the board of Aer Lingus?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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This question refers specifically to appointments under the Taoiseach's aegis.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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My question certainly concerns appointments to State boards. I ask the Taoiseach whether he made representations, which is his prerogative to answer. That is the question to which I want an answer.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Taoiseach should answer regarding appointments under his aegis only.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I want to know does that apply in the cases of Mr. Richardson and Mr. Joe Burke, who is listed as chairman of the Dublin Port Company.

Mr. David McKenna was appointed to the board of Enterprise Ireland. The Taoiseach should be upfront and advise us of the facts with regard to all of these appointments.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that his question refers to the Taoiseach's own appointments.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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On many occasions I have confronted the Taoiseach with regard to the practices he employed — those we knew of then as opposed to those practices we know of now — with regard to appointments to State boards and other such quangos. Will the Taoiseach, in the light of all we now know, agree that the best approach for such appointments in the future is by open public advertisement? The country is awash with talent and good people who share many of the high qualities and motivation about which the Taoiseach has spoken, but they are not known to him and are not his friends. They have every right to be considered for such public service. Is this not the right time to change the flawed practices of the past and open up these appointment opportunities to every citizen and to make the appointments on merit alone?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Any people I appointed or nominated to a State board when another Minister was making an appointment were people I believed to have the knowledge, expertise and experience required. I put forward names of many people of all party political persuasions and of none whom I believed had the required knowledge, expertise and experience.

I do not agree with the Deputy with regard to advertising positions. People serving on State boards are people who are prepared to give their time, energy and commitment to the job. The position has become more burdensome and demanding due to regulatory issues and company law changes over the years and fewer people are prepared to take it on. The current system works well rather than advertising the positions. There is a more limited pool now because of the extent and range of people on boards. We have to pick people and I see nothing wrong with the current system. Many people across State boards appointed by this and previous Governments are not party political. They are there because of the role they play and their involvement in organisations in the State. I do not see anything wrong with that system. It has served the country well.

I resent these organisations being called quangos. If they are quangos, they should not be there. The organisations are there because of statutes and legislation of the House. I see nothing wrong with the system.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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That is the problem.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Following his declared procedure of appointing people to State boards, does the Taoiseach appreciate how that could malign many competent, talented and experienced members of State boards who may feel they were appointed on the basis of a friendship rather than merit? Does it not behove the Taoiseach to set out clearly the need for a new procedure, just as he has acknowledged we need change in our ethical legislation? We need an acknowledgment that, in the past, there have been too many close personal and political connections and we need to make it clear that appointments are based on merit alone. Is it not the case that groups that have not been allowed representation on boards like the National Consumer Agency, for example, consumer groups and older persons representative groups, may feel aggrieved that somehow they were not friendly enough to warrant appointment? We do not have a level playing pitch currently and that needs to be addressed.

We know from experience that many appointments have been made before an election, right up to election day. Some 60 appointments were made by various Ministers before the last general election — just before leaving office — including by Deputies O'Donoghue, Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey, O'Rourke and Fahey. Will the procedures in the Taoiseach's Department and those he proposes to lay down for Government avoid and prevent this type of board stuffing that takes place before elections? Can he explain why it happened and will it happen in the future?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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It happens after elections also.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I point out to the Deputy that the question refers specifically to the Taoiseach's Department.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I tried hard to stay in order.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy did not.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will not try to get into the business of what happens before or after elections in this regard because it would lead to us trading abuse across the House.

There are a few hundred people on boards related to my Department. I probably know most of them, but none of them are close friends. They are there because they had the right to be nominated. All of them are consumers.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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We are all consumers, but we are not all on the National Consumer Agency board.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to boards generally, not just recently, but for a long time the position has been that Governments have had to try hard to get people for them. These people are from organisations and professions and are known. The Government has not been partisan about appointing boards and packing them with supporters as can be seen if one looks at the range of people on the various boards. Many of the chairmen of State boards are not affiliated to Fianna Fáil or the Progressive Democrats, but they do a good job. Even throughout the clearing house groups in my Department and the financial services group, I do not have a notion of people's politics. I would only know the party political affiliations of a small proportion of people. Nowadays, we must comply with employment regulations. This situation has come about over a long number of years.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach is an innocent abroad. If we believe that, we would believe anything.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Allow the Taoiseach to speak without interruption.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I believe it. I could name a number of chairmen of State boards who support Deputy McGinley's party, but that is not the point. Board members are doing a good job as best they can. The days of just naming people and getting them to take positions on State boards are no longer easy.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach's backbenchers would know appointees' politics.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The dogs on the street would know their political affiliations.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to ask the Taoiseach about paragraph 24 of the code which states that if an office holder, the first office holder, or a person acting on his or her behalf proposes to make a request to a second office holder with regard to the performance of a function by the second office holder and the first office holder has actual knowledge that he or she or a connected person has a material interest in a matter to which the function relates, the first office holder must furnish a statement in writing of the facts and the nature of the interest to the second office holder. The statement should be furnished before or at the time of making the request and the statement provided to the second office holder must be provided by that second office holder to the Taoiseach and-or the standards commission in accordance with the procedure outlined.

In respect of representations the Taoiseach made to other Ministers to appoint a number of members of the Drumcondra dozen, did he make that material interest known and did he make the required written statement?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Anyone I asked any Minister to appoint, a limited number over the past decade or during my ministerial career, would not have had any material interest in the appointment. They took the position from a sense of duty and responsibility, not because of a material interest. I would not make a board appointment to someone for a material interest.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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That is not the point. The material interest arises from the fact that the Taoiseach was in receipt of gifts, loans or whatever from a number of persons on behalf of whom he made representations to a colleague Minister to have them appointed to a State board. Under paragraph 24 of the code, the Taoiseach was required to make the statements to which I referred. Did he make them?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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If no material interest relates to an appointment, that is the governing point. If there was a material interest and a person was appointed for the sake of some beneficial interest to him or her, one would have to declare it. If not, one would not have to make a declaration.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Taoiseach had a material interest.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not. It did not apply in those circumstances.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Taoiseach named a number of them. I do not wish to name them here. It is written in black and white under Article 24. Did the Taoiseach furnish the statement?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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There was not any conflict of interest, nor was there any material interest. I would not appoint somebody to a board under the remit of my Department, or another Department, that would be in conflict with that legislation.