Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I want to talk about the future and build on the good work already done with the other appointments. Do the appointments of David Begg, Matthew Elderfield or Alan Dukes to the board of Anglo Irish Bank represent cronyism? We cannot cherry pick. It is not about showing a lack of respect. In changing the regulatory regime with this Bill and two more Bills to follow, it shows the belief in this institution to do its work in the appropriate way without bowing to whether a person is a product of the Trinity regime, the Fianna Fáil scholarship programme or the Fine Gael training programme. It is the ability to take the appropriate judgment that these people have the qualifications and the independence we expect them to have and that they will ask questions.

There are other organisations. For example Messrs. Regling and Watson did not pre-write the report as determined by the Fianna Fáil members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, nor did Gay Byrne pursue a line in the Road Safety Authority that was dictated to him by any Fianna Fáil entities or otherwise. I believe in this institution's ability to pick the six to eight members of the Central Bank commission in the appropriate fashion which will reflect that. I will not account for any past appointments that turned out to be bad - absolutely not. I am speaking about the here and now, based on the Government actions that have been adjudicated on by the international community to have been very good. We continue to lead the world in implementing the kinds of measure that need to be put in place. I say to Senator Donohoe that it is not about lack of respect.