Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have to look at the history to date of appointments to the role of chairperson. My belief is that it has not been bad generally. Therefore, it is important to start from that premise. It does not take away at all from the merits of the amendment, which is obviously promoted in the context of democracy rather than good governance. I do not mean that in any way as being a slight on the amendment.

I believe the chairperson has to be a person who is equipped for the role. While it is true to say the Minister may not always know the people on the board, he or she will take advice and will be aware of what is happening in the marketplace. Unless I saw particularly strong merit in doing this, or we had glaring cases in the past in which it had not worked well, I would be inclined to think that change might not be the best way to go in this case.