Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is an interesting issue. The Minister mentioned a figure of five people. I am unsure as to how many acting CEOs there are, but there is one in County Leitrim, a former school principal. Given the Minister's response, it appears that the acting CEO will revert to his position as a school principal. I understand that staffing is a complex area and I do not want to get into it, as trade unions and Ministers must negotiate people's futures and livelihoods. Given the small number of people involved, however, I would have expected an exploration of the possibility of including acting CEOs on the same panel. They have served for a number of years, but it's possible that their expertise will be lost in open competitions.

Traditionally, CEOs tended to be appointed from within a geographical area. For example, the Leitrim CEO came from Leitrim, not Cork or Dublin. Has the Minister given thought to this matter? Given the small numbers involved, will he allow acting CEOs to form part of the panel? There cannot be that many.