Shane Ross (Independent)

Correct. I was making exactly that point. One only needs to look at the performance of the coterie that surrounded the last Taoiseach to know that every single one of them was slotted in to a position on one of the semi-State boards for which, in many cases, they were blatantly unsuited and under-qualified. It is absurd to maintain that that sort of thing was not going on. It was going on and it is still going on. The temperature of this debate has been raised because Senator MacSharry has made such an absurd defence. We are trying to say that we accept that it has happened and was unacceptable, but for God's sake, in an institution like the Central Bank let us not let it happen because too much is at stake. Let us not pretend that people who were not qualified were not appointed because they were. While it would be a pity to do so, I will name names if necessary. To go into denial about this is utterly crazy and unreal. That is what has happened, but please let it not happen in this case. We have the opportunity to plead with the Minister in the next week not to make that sort of appointment.