Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to reiterate that the Indecon report on matters relating to Bord na gCon recommended a skilled board rather than a representative board, so the representatives are bound to be skilled. We are caught here between vested interests being needed, on the one hand, and, on the other, excessive vested interests not being a good thing. Let us be clear about it. This is a balancing act. As an example, Horse Racing Ireland moved from 13 to 14 finally, but it removed a certain number from the Turf Club, replaced them with industry representatives, and was left with one from four or five, if memory serves me. We have tried to get the balance right. Everybody in the industry, the representative organisations and stakeholders, can put themselves forward within the Public Appointments Service system. This is not to say the skilled board will not have representatives from the various stakeholder groups, be it the trainers, the breeders, the owners, the greyhound tracks or the bookies. It is a matter of trying to get the board right and having independence on the control committee and the appeals committee. At one time people would have said there were too many people from the industry and no objective eyes within the board, so we have to get that balance right.

I will not agree to change this now. I believe we need to have faith in the PAS system to allow us to bring forward a skill set that is representative, if I could put it that way.