Lyons expresses dismay at not being reappointed

THE chairman of the Competition Authority, Mr Paddy Lyons, has said he was disappointed that he would not be reappointed for another term of office. He was speaking last night, following an announcement that an open competition will be held for his post and the two others on the authority.

Mr Lyons said the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, had telephoned him on Monday and in a brief conversation had told him he would not be reappointed. Mr Lyons' term of office expires at the end of this month.

"I am disappointed, because I think I did a lot of very good work, along with other members of the authority and not to be reappointed is disappointing," he said.

Mr Lyons was appointed in 1991, by the then Minister for Industry and Commerce, Mr Des O'Malley. It is understood that Mr Bruton wants to take the authority appointments out of the political arena.

"I have no objection to open competition if it is done for all Government posts," said Mr Lyons. He said he had not yet been officially informed that the posts of chairman and two memberships of the authority would be advertised. Details of the posts are being carried in today's appointments section of The Irish Times.

Mr Lyons emphasised that the Minister had every right to choose whether to reappoint him. Interviews for the posts would conducted by an appointments board under the chairmanship of Professor Dermot McAleese of Trinity College Dublin.

Mr Lyons said the Minister would still have the final say in who is appointed. He also said he understood that the post of director of competition enforcement is not being included in this round of appointments.

Under new laws, introduced last month, the Competition Authority is to get much greater powers, including powers of enforcement and a director of competition enforcement. The director would have powers to search premises and initiate the prosecution of offenders.

Mr Lyons said it was a very important time for competition law and the authority effectively now has no board members, no director of enforcement and insufficient staff. The staff increase which had been promised, as part of the new legislation, had not materialised, he said.

Mr Lyons (54), an economist, has had his battles with Mr Bruton. In June he made a series of criticisms about the new laws aimed at tightening competition, saying some aspects of it were unworkable.

The Minister retorted at the time that Mr Lyons' criticisms were "ill informed and unhelpful".

Mr Lyons is currently suing the Minister over what he claims is the delay in implementing a pension scheme for his benefit during his five year term of office.

In theory, the three authority members could apply for the posts. However, Mr Des Wall has retired from the authority and Mr Patrick Massey could not be reached for comment.