Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister to the House on her first occasion here and congratulate her on her recent appointment. I want to put two things on the record. They include my own support for IMMA. It does wonderful work and, as Senator Mac Conghail noted, has an international reputation in the area of contemporary art, which deserves to be protected and safeguarded. The second thing I want to put on the record is my serious concern about the manner and timing of the recent board appointments, including the particular appointment we are discussing. I am not making any personal comment about the appointee but I believe it creates an unfortunate perception and does not seem to be in keeping with the political reforms that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government have introduced. I do not in any way wish to place the responsibility necessarily on the Minister, but I echo Senator Mac Conghail's questions about the numbers on the board and ensuring that there is an appropriate spread of expertise and skill sets on it.