Shane Ross (Independent)

The issue of nomination to the office of President is currently causing some controversy. Will the Leader provide time for a discussion, under any guise, on how the President is elected? Members will be aware that in the past week the President was re-elected. I believe it is unfair that a President can re-nominate himself or herself while all other candidates must secure 20 signatures from Members of the Oireachtas, something which no candidate was able to do. It is an issue on which this House cannot introduce legislation as it is a matter for the Constitution but we could provide some leadership lest this matter, like that of Seanad reform, disappears from the agenda from one election to another.

The second matter I wish to raise relates not to the specific issue of the semi-State company which has caused so much controversy in the past 24 hours but to the lesson we must learn from it. The real difficulties we have with political nominations — although not in terms of their individual behaviour — relates to the instinct of a group of nominees loyal to one party or, particularly, to one Minister to thwart the wishes of future Ministers, thereby making it almost impossible for the semi-State body to function. It would be useful if this House could take a leading role in considering the abolition of political nominees and the introduction of new standards and structures to ensure new appointees carry out the wishes of the Government of the day.