Minister's plan for Oireachtas body to nominate appointees to State board

THE BROADCASTING Bill proposes a radical departure in the way in which appointments to State boards are made.

Instead of the Government appointing all board members after nomination by the Minister, the Bill proposes that some of the members be recommended by an Oireachtas Committee.

Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan, in outlining the Bill yesterday, said four of the nine members of the proposed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland would be nominated by the Minister following advice received by the Oireachtas Committee on Communications.

Clarifying the provisions, Mr Ryan said the committee would be free to appoint a panel of names from which the Minister could nominate the board members. The numbers on the panel could be the bare four people who are required or could be more. He said his preference would be for a panel of just four people.

The Bill contains similar provisions for the new boards of RTÉ and TG4.

"I am pleased to grant my parliamentary colleagues from all sides the responsibility of appointments to such important boards," said Mr Ryan. "This marks a new departure in the power and roles of the legislature and the executive in Ireland," he said.

He said this system would allow balance and would allow the Opposition to nominate members.

The new system was welcomed by Opposition parties. However, Fine Gael spokesman Simon Coveney said the means chosen by the Minister was not the best one.

"I would like to see a system whereby the Minister selected a panel of people who would then be thoroughly vetted by Oireachtas committees on the issues of competence and experience," said Mr Coveney.

Labour's Liz McManus welcomed the Minister's proposal.

Government sources said it was unlikely Mr Ryan's initiative would become the norm but did not rule out the method for some State boards in future.