Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to introduce legislation to provide for a more open and transparent system for appointments to public bodies as per commitment in the revised programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45336/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The renewed programme for Government provides for the introduction, on a legislative basis, of a more open and transparent system for appointments to public bodies. The legislation will outline a procedure for the publication of all vacancies likely to occur, invite applications from the general public and from the responses create a panel of suitable persons for consideration of appointment. The legislation will also specify numbers of persons to be appointed by a Minister and will facilitate the appropriate Oireachtas Committees to make nominations to the panel.

Work on this issue is taking place in the context of implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the task force on the public service, transforming public services report. The task force made a series of recommendations in relation to State agencies, including the development of models of performance and governance frameworks.

Individual Ministers have already sponsored changes in their sectoral areas of responsibility. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware of the innovative measures for board appointments to public broadcasting corporations which were sponsored by Minister Ryan in the recently enacted Broadcasting Act. Developments in this area will help inform the legislative approach to be taken in relation to other public bodies.