Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 15, subsection (10), lines 34 and 35, to delete ", in the Minister's opinion," and substitute ", it can be demonstrated that,".

When one hears that a member of an agency or a board has been dismissed by a Minister, one immediately thinks that a serious misdemeanour must have occurred. That has not always been the case, however. Such people have been removed in the past after Ministers became concerned about simple differences of opinion with individuals who had previously been appointed, selected or elected to a State agency or board. It is important, for that reason, that the Minister adopt a "hands-off" approach in this instance, as far as possible, when members of the proposed development agency are being appointed. The Bill currently states that a member of the agency may be removed if he or she has "committed stated misbehaviour". It could be argued that such behaviour includes an expression of disagreement with a policy being pursued by a Minister or a ministerial appointee, as opposed to those selected, elected or appointed from outside bodies. I ask the Minister to accept this amendment.