Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With this provision, the programme for Government is once again torn to pieces. The amendment my colleague seeks to make merely seeks to implement what is in the programme for Government. The Senator is asking that "subject to subsection (4)" be deleted. The subsection means a public competition does not have to take place in respect of the job. Where is the new politics and open government? Where is the programme for Government to which the Government solemnly committed before the people? Where is the change that people expected? The programme for Government stated all appointments above principal officer level should be subject to open competition. This Bill makes an utter mockery of that.

How does the public know it is getting the best possible person for the position? Quite simply, it does not. All it knows is that the Minister appointed a person of his own volition and that nobody else was involved in making the decision. This is wrong. The Government promised to change this process but has failed to do so. That is exactly what is driving the public mad. It expected new politics and new methods of public administration. It is not getting them in this Bill, particularly in this section.