Feargal Quinn (Independent)

On Committee Stage the Minister explained why it was introduced in the past, saying it was not right to have a civil servant criticise the policy of the Government. I can understand that. In the 1920s and 1930s when Bord na Móna, the ESB and other State-sponsored companies – this is a more correct term than semi-State companies – were being set up the Government decided to appoint independent boards. There were very strict rules and regulations governing what they could do. This was to give them the flexibility to pick their own management teams, take risks and chances, and go into the commercial world. This is particularly necessary in the case of a tourism authority, which has to compete with every other country in the world to convince people that ours is a more attractive place to visit.

We now put a provision in the Bill saying the chief executive, when questioned on certain areas, must not comment or express an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government or a Minister of the Government or on the merits of the objectives of such a policy. That is so extreme that if we wished to make sure that no Minister or Government policy were ever criticised, we would be much wiser not to have an independent authority and rather leave it in the hands of the civil servants. Civil servants are there to put into operation the views of the Minister. I urge the Minister to reconsider this.