Seanad debates

Friday, 17 December 2021

Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages

 

10:00 am

Photo of Malcolm ByrneMalcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boyhan for his Churchillian oration. This is a matter I raised on Second Stage with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. It applies very specifically to this legislation, but it is the general principle of the exclusion of councillors from certain State boards. The case I made then, and to the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, on Committee Stage, is that it is not about a councillor being appointed just because he or she is a councillor, it is where the person has relevant expertise and all other things being equal that he or she should not be excluded from consideration for appointment to the board because of the fact that he or she is a councillor.

The Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, is a very strong advocate of getting good people into local government. It is increasingly difficult when we get people who have professional expertise or extensive life experience who could serve on a board but because they are a councillor, they are excluded.

I raised the matter with the Minister on Second Stage and he agreed with me. His comment was interesting. I spoke with him separately afterwards. Senator Fitzpatrick and I then tabled amendments and, purely coincidentally after that, Senator Boyhan tabled very similar amendments. I am happy if there is a commitment to look at the role of councillors on State boards, as the exclusion does not just apply to this legislation.

The concern I expressed on Committee Stage is that councillors are specifically excluded, but that a nominee of the county and city chief executives will be appointed to the board of MARA. From that perspective, in terms of the balance, it is only fair that we should not exclude councillors. It does have a general implication, because in nearly every piece of legislation that comes through these Houses, local authority members are excluded, which is wrong. I agree with Senator Boyhan that it makes sense for particular reasons for Members of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament not to sit on State boards, but I wonder why that is the case if somebody has a particular level of expertise and he or she applies for the job and is seen as the best candidate but because he or she happens to be a councillor, he or she is excluded. That is wrong. I hope in the Minister of State will be very clear in setting the direction of travel in that area, because this is not just about MARA, we are trying to remove a similar proposal on the media commission that is coming up. It applies across all State boards. I hope the Minister of State will give us a very clear indication in his response that the general principle will be addressed.

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