Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment proposed by my party leader in the House, Senator Darragh O'Brien. I also endorse the comments made by Senator Sean D. Barrett with whom I sit on the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. Yesterday's meeting of the committee was unique in that members of all parties and none unanimously welcomed the appointment of the chairman-designate of Dublin Bus, Mr. Ultan Courtney. Listening to Senator Darragh O'Brien, it occurred to me that we could further extend the system of having chairpersons-designate of State boards make a presentation before the relevant committees in which they inform members of their qualifications for the job in question. Those whom the Government proposes to appoint to State boards should appear before the relevant committee. While the Government could point to the large number of such appointments, it should be noted that these appointments are staggered. Appointments to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, for example, have been staggered in the past five years. It would not be beyond the capacity of the relevant committees to hear from people whom the Government was proposing to appoint to State boards. This would allow members of committees to establish the credentials, credibility and qualifications of Government nominees. It would also be interesting to establish whether, under such a system, some of those being proposed would withdraw from the process because they would come under scrutiny. I have no doubt that if the gentleman to whom Senator Darragh O'Brien referred, Mr. McNulty, were to come before the relevant committee, he would not last five minutes as all members would send the strong message to the Government that he was not qualified to serve on the board of the IMMA.