Shane Ross (Independent)

Will the Minister for Transport outline the criteria used in appointing members of State boards under his aegis, particularly Aer Rianta? The reasons I bring up the issue are very obvious. It is currently a very topical matter, particularly as it relates to the board of Aer Rianta which is in the middle of a public controversy. The reason any objective person would assume one is appointed to the board of a semi-State body is he or she has two qualities, first, expertise in the area and, second, independence. In almost all companies, particularly public companies, the requirement of corporate governance is not so much expertise, but, above all, that directors should have independence in order that they would not be subject to external or internal hidden pressures.

I suggest to the Minister that this is not the case in regard to semi-State bodies. The record is one of political parties willy nilly appointing friends and supporters to semi-State bodies as a priority above their interest, expertise and knowledge of the industry or business which they have been appointed to safeguard. This is an open secret, not something any party particularly hides. It just becomes Buggins's turn every five years. If the political landscape changes and a person is normally not reappointed, someone from the opposite political party takes his or her place and is either a supporter or a member of the party concerned.