Sir, – Rachel Mullen of the Equality Rights Alliance (July 6th) writes that her organisation “has proposed to Mr Shatter that the Equality Board appointments should include the following criteria: gender balance; representation of the protected equality grounds; trade union and employer body representatives; members to have a knowledge and commitment to equality issues; and appointment of an independent chairperson”.
This would suggest that Equality Rights Alliance supports positive discrimination rather than equality. As a taxpayer I would prefer if the Government adhered to the basic principles of corporate governance and appointed the best qualified people for the job. Surely the saga of the old Fás has taught us that where the management of public monies is concerned that the appointment of token union and employer representatives does not lead to the best of outcomes. – Yours, etc,