Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome yesterday’s Cabinet decision regarding the Public Appointments Service and the advertising of expressions of interest regarding all further appointments, and particularly the announcement that within six weeks the Minister, Deputy Howlin, will present to the Government for approval an overarching set of guidelines for appointments of State boards. These guidelines will set out requirements which will be expected to apply to all State board appointments in terms of the calibre and quality of candidates and broader public policy considerations relating to general equality and other diversity objectives. The McNulty affair is over. We should await this.