Shane Ross (Independent)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann calls on the Government to reform the practice of making political appointments to semi-State bodies.

This motion addresses the issue of political appointments to semi-State bodies. The Minister has had responsibility for certain such bodies in the past and will know they are very peculiar creatures. For the purposes of this debate, they have two relevant characteristics which I would like to point out. The first is that, although they are on the whole called commercial semi-State bodies, they are not exclusively commercially driven. The second is that the majority of board members are appointed by the Minister in charge of the relevant Department. This evening I ask whether those people are appointed on merit or because of loyalty to a political party. I am glad that the Minister is here as he has some experience of this. I recall going through a Bill with him in this House some years ago and him assuring us that the relevant body would not, when set up, provide an appointment for someone associated with a political party. Subsequently, a Mr. Jim Lacey was appointed chairman of the board, a man not unknown to Fianna Fáil.