Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I congratulate Senator Ross on the Bill and commend him on bringing it before the House. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, and thank him for his great speech, which I listened to with incredulity. If ever I heard a case for Senator Ross's Bill, it was in the contributions of the Minister of State and Senators Ormonde and Butler. Senator Ormonde should buy a book entitled The Drumcondra Mafia, which, more than anything I can say, illustrates why this Bill is necessary. If we are talking about reform of the system, the Bill is timely. Outside in real Ireland, cynicism, annoyance and frustration rest in the hearts and minds of Irish people about the political class and the political system. Whether we like it, cronyism and patronage are seen to be alive and well. The examples I quote concern what happened with FÁS and yesterday with CIE. The Minister of State may protest and give me all the articulate answers he wants to, but that is the reality. People feel the system has let them down and that appointees to State boards have done the public interest no good. It might be a generalisation but that is the reality. The politics of a bygone era must be overcome. The old adage rings true: "It is not what you know, but who you know." That has been the Fianna Fáil way for generations, regardless of whether the Minister of State likes it. I am not saying he is like that, but some of his colleagues definitely are.

The Bill attempts to create transparency and openness in public appointments. I will not name them, but I know of people whom I would not appoint to clean a dog kennel, yet they are getting stipends equivalent to some people's wages. We must restore trust and confidence in the political system. At the first sitting of this Seanad in 2007, Senator Ross spoke about patronage being the curse of Irish political life. He was right, but look at what has happened since then. The bottom has fallen out of the whole political system. In some cases, the boards of semi-State organisations are rotten with Fianna Fáil appointees. Senator Ormonde may grimace but it is a fact of life. We need openness and transparency. I know it hurts her because it is the truth, and I understand that. If I was in her position, I would be equally embarrassed.