Seanad debates

Tuesday, 28 June 2005

Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages.

 

5:00 pm

Mary Henry (Independent)

The problem I see with electing a chairperson is that the agency is a very disparate group. On the day, it is difficult, even if members are given resumés in advance, to know where people stand and this must be taken into consideration. While I would love to see two residents selected, I have a concern about people being elected from the area because I do not know who the electorate will be or the criteria for getting on the election panel. Would a local representative be elected? We need to think carefully about such matters.

I have been on boards, for example Comhairle na nOspidéal, where the chairperson was selected by the Minister and not elected. Some chairpersons won the hearts and minds of the rest of us, but others did not. Comhairle na nOspidéal is the nearest I can think of to the sort of grouping that will be on this agency. When we came together, I did not know 80% of the people on it and I am sure the same is true for most of the others. Electing people about whom one knows very little is difficult, even with a resumé.

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