Brendan Ryan (Labour)

The tradition in Ireland in terms of worker directors has been that there has been a strong association between the worker director and the unions. However, the case we are putting in the amendment does not concern the unions as such, rather the concept of the worker being elected to the board and becoming a director. The Minister of State suggested that because the director general will be on the board, this somehow fills the gap. I do not accept this to be case. I spent time in the private sector up to two years ago before I became involved in full-time politics. I had arrived at the point where I had moved to the other side of the table and was negotiating with the unions. If I had said to them that I would represent them well, I am sure I would have been told where to get off. They would have been of the view that they did not need the chief executive or the general manager to represent them. Notwithstanding the Minister of State's rationale in terms of agencies, I think it is worth holding on to worker representation on the board. Therefore, I will be pressing the amendment.