THE GOVERNMENT’S placing of people with party links on State boards since coming into office has been strongly criticised by Opposition TDs.
Fianna Fáil’s spokesman on public expenditure and reform Seán Fleming accused the Coalition of “deceiving” the public and said his party would raise the matter in the Dáil this week.
“It’s adding to public cynicism in relation to politics. Having promised one thing in opposition, this Government is now doing the opposite,” Mr Fleming said.
“The scale of what we are seeing is unprecedented by any standard. These are the people who promised to change all that. This Government promised change and a new way of doing business.”
Yesterday's Irish Timesrevealed at least 20 past or present Fine Gael and Labour members, strategists or donors had been appointed, while five out of six judges nominated by the Government had links to the Coalition.
Sinn Féin’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Coalition of “cronyism” and said they had failed to implement their pre-election promise to reform the practice. “Cronyism and self-interest has dogged Government since the inception of the State. Nowhere is this more evident than in the appointment of board members to State agencies. Since the time of [former Fianna Fáil leader Seán] Lemass party insiders have been gifted board memberships over and above those best qualified for the job,” she said.
However, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar defended his appointments to State boards, saying all the people he had chosen were “eminently qualified”. He said some of those he appointed had connections to other political parties, including Opposition parties, while some had “no political affiliation at all”.
This is believed to be a reference to Mr Varadkar’s reappointment of Gay Byrne as chairman of the Road Safety Authority. Mr Byrne was approached by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to run in the presidential election earlier this year.
Socialist TD Joe Higgins said: “It’s business as usual for Fine Gael and Labour. All the talk about major reform is now exposed as a sham.”
