Ex-Ahern adviser a nominee for TCD position

TÁNAISTE AND Minister for Education Mary Coughlan has nominated Jackie Gallagher, a public relations consultant and former special adviser to the previous Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, to the board of Trinity College Dublin.

Ms Coughlan wrote to the provost of the college in July to inform him Mr Gallagher was her nominee for the five-year post beginning in September, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education confirmed.

“This person was a nominee. It is Trinity College that appoint under the relevant legislation . . . This position is not remunerated,” the spokeswoman said.

Mr Gallagher, now of the Q4 Public Relations firm, said he did not wish to comment.

Irish Human Rights Commission member Olive Braiden, who ran for a European Parliament seat as a Fianna Fáil candidate in 1995, also sits on the Trinity board.

The department spokeswoman said Ms Braiden’s nomination and appointment was “a matter for Trinity College”. Last night Ms Braiden said she was nominated and appointed by “Trinity itself”. She was not paid a fee and did not receive expenses, she added.

Separately, a report in yesterday's Irish Timesthat the Government will make almost 300 appointments to State boards before it leaves office next year was raised during yesterday's order of business in the Dáil by Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin."It is indicative of the closing days of an unravelling Coalition," he said.

Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar said the renewed Programme for Government made a commitment to legislate for a “new and transparent” means of making appointments.

Information released to Mr Varadkar following parliamentary questions showed that of the 35 appointments and reappointments made since November 22nd, when the Green Party demanded an election in the new year, 20 were made by Mr Gormley.

Thirteen of the 20 appointees were serving civil servants who do not receive fees.

Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe last month reappointed Kevin Duffy as chairman of the Labour Court with a remuneration of €164,464 per annum for three years.

Minister for Health Mary Harney reappointed Karen Fergus SC to the board of the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal for five years. In the information supplied to Mr Varadkar, the fees relating to the position are described as “daily rate of €992.68 plus VAT”.