Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do not propose to accept amendment No. 43. The provision it seeks to amend is necessary to ensure temporary ordinary board members can be urgently appointed from former or current public and civil servants where, owing to the illness of the chairperson or of an ordinary member, or for any other reason, a sufficient number of members of the board is not available to enable the board to effectively perform its functions. It is appropriate that public and civil servants, who have previously been suitably vetted on appointment as public and civil servants, would be used to fill these public service positions.

I do not propose to accept amendment No. 44 as the associated provision in section 3 provides for the urgent appointment of temporary board members where board members are not available due to illness or otherwise. The proposed amendment does not comprehend the urgency of such temporary appointments. It is wholly appropriate that temporary appointees to such sensitive public service positions will have already been recruited to the public service through previous competitions and assessed as suitable appointees. The independence of An Bord Pleanála and planning authorities from the Minister in decision-making on planning cases is clearly set out under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act. The Sinn Féin proposal that public servants should not serve as temporary board members is at odds with the fact that planning decisions are made by public servants in local authorities.

I do not propose to accept amendment No. 45. The associated legislative provision is necessary to ensure that temporary ordinary board members can be urgently appointed from former or current public and civil servants where, owing to the illness of the chairperson or of an ordinary member, or for any other reason, a sufficient number of members of the board is not available to enable the board to effectively perform its functions. It is appropriate that public and civil servants, who have previously been suitably vetted on appointment as public and civil servants, would be used to fill these public service positions.