Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sorely tempted to respond in detail to Senator Mullins but I will avoid the temptation other than to say that he should Google "State appointments". A journalist yesterday said, in the context of the ongoing State appointments row, that what politicians in these Houses know but do not admit is that all Governments have done this. I will admit that all Governments have because that has been the system.
It was pointed out that in the American political system, for example, the newly-appointed US ambassador to Ireland - whom I welcome and wish well, following his ratification - will serve for only two years because when the Obama Administration ends all the Democrat appointees will be gone. If a Republican is elected President, Republicans will be appointed to boards. That happened in Greece during the bailout process where, I discovered, as others I am sure did, that not only are state appointments made by politicians and governments but revenue collectors are appointed by the government, which has led to enormous inefficiencies. I am not justifying this. I applaud the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, for moving very quickly yesterday to send a memorandum to the Government to the effect that appointments to State boards will go through the Commission for Public Service Appointments.
As a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications I went through a process this summer, with my committee colleagues, of sifting through 140 curricula vitaesent in by members of the public, in response to an advertisement from the committee. This was to recommend four members for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and four members for the RTE Authority to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White. We interviewed all eight candidates yesterday, which was an exercise in democracy at its purest. All parties and none applauded it.
I know that Senator Brennan, who is on the committee, will agree that while the process was very difficult and burdensome because of the time it consumed over the summer, we came up with four people for each board of whom we can feel very proud. They have come through a very pure democratic process. I have no idea what, if any, their political affiliations are, and Senator Brennan would say the same. They are recommended on merit. I welcome that process. Maybe now we can take this item off the agenda and focus on the economy, as Senator Mullins says.
It would be churlish of me not to acknowledge the reduction in unemployment figures. That is a wonderful development. Long may it continue because it means that fewer sons and daughters, brothers and sisters will have to take a plane out of the country.