Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and compliment Senator Quinn on once again bringing a Bill before the House. He is one of the most prolific producers of legislation in the Private Members' Bill category. It is an honour to be asked by a Minister to serve the State. I have served on four boards without payment and one with payment. We need public service, the practical patriotism Senator Quinn has described. Many of us have talents because the State invested heavily in our education and it is a chance to pay back something when asked. It is an honour to serve the public and the next generation, because we must repair much of what has happened in recent times.

It was interesting to hear that the Minister, Deputy Howlin, thinks board members should consider waiving fees. Although the fees concerned are relatively small amounts of money, they, unfortunately, attract adverse comment and public odium out of all proportion, which nearly discredits the organisations. While media comment may be ill-informed, it creates the view that Ministers reward their supporters, friends, pals or cronies - that dreaded word - by making these appointments. This discredits the idea of public service because it is incumbent on all of us who have employment in other areas to offer something back to the State at this difficult time when we need to do so much better than we have in the recent past. We still have to make up more than 200,000 jobs which have been lost since the peak.

People do lots of things as part of public service to their communities, notably through sporting organisations and schools. It would be a great step forward if they were willing to serve when the Minister of State and his colleagues ask them to perform tasks on behalf of the country and I commend the Bill on that basis. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, has tackled the expenses culture, and it is addressed in section 3 of the Bill.

As we saw yesterday when the Companies Bill was introduced by the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Sherlock, being on a board involves responsibilities that we may not have considered previously. It is not an honorarium and it is not a reward for services done. It is a job of work. We have asked so many people to make sacrifices for the country and I think this will add to the list. It will raise the status of boards and those who serve on them. It will also help combat the negative views that appointments to State boards can attract. Those views are often unfair to individuals, boards and Ministers who are trying to get the country back in good shape.

Senator Quinn's Bill has my support as a call to people to serve their country and I commend it to the House.