Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not doubt the Minister's confidence in him and I do not doubt but that he would sail through a recruitment process. However, members should have no fear of a recruitment process because they certainly will not do any worse then have him. I am sure he is doing a good job in the eyes of the Minister. My colleague, Senator Byrne, was speaking specifically on transparency and openness in that area and his point did not pertain to the Minister's mantra on all that has been achieved. There is no need for me to go into the cost overruns and all the other things that have been well covered in the media in recent times. However, specifically on this issue, I will repeat a point rightly made to the Minister by some of the Independent Senators previously. While Fianna Fáil will support this Bill, it seeks to have it improved in the public interest. I do not believe the public interest is served by stating the Minister's man is a good man in whom the Minister has every confidence and that the Minister has appointed him deputy chief executive officer in the interim before making him the new director general. I am obliged to note that were a Fianna Fáil Minister sitting in the ministerial chair and were Deputy Reilly sitting over here, he would be apoplectic with demands and questions as to how Fianna Fáil could preside over the appointment of someone, regardless of their qualifications.