Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

It should not be a barrier if people are qualified.

With regard to the construction of the new board, we have examined a different approach. The Department placed advertisements in the newspapers to which it received in excess of 150 responses which are being assessed. I also made it clear at the select committee and in the Dáil that, having served on the joint committee, I would give credence to submissions made by the committee before the board was appointed. I invite such submissions again. Both Senators are members of the committee. When the legislation is passed, we will move quickly to appoint the members of the board because we have put a great deal of thought into the calibre of persons we want to see on the board and where the organisation should go following the events of the past year which have not been a good advertisement for the public service. We want to use the board to change this. Ultimately, the Minister will make the appointments. She is answerable for them to the Dáil, the Seanad and the joint committee.

The wider issue relates to the manner in which political appointees in the United States are called before committees and put through the mill before being appointed. That is not the road we should go down in making part-time appointments because Ireland is too small a country. There is merit in having a board answer for its performance while in office to a committee and I would like to flesh out that proposal at some stage. Questioning appointees before they take up a post may prevent people from applying or discourage them from getting involved in State boards and result in us losing talent. We have made changes to the construction of the board and to the way we approach this. I am open to suggestions and the proposal of names. I welcome names from any field that a Member feels have a role in rebuilding FÁS. We are not in a position to accept formal amendments on this.