Pat Rabbitte
Question:6 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Communications if it is intended to reappoint the Chairman of Telecom Éireann when his term of office expires later this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Telecom Éireann Chairman.
The present term of office of the Chairman of Telecom Éireann will expire in December 1991. I will consider the question of appointment of the Chairman of Telecom Éireann when the matter arises, on expiry of the present appointment.
I am sure the Minister will agree that the staff and management of Telecom Éireann under Mr. Michael Smurfit's chairmanship have turned in a tremendous performance for the latest year under review. Does the Minister not consider that the time has come, having regard to public statements by the chairman of Telecom that the favours the privatisation of the company which performs such a strategic role in the economic life of the country, to consider the appointment when his term expires of somebody who has a greater sense of commitment to the retention of that company in public ownership?
We have been very fortunate in the chairman who was appointed when Telecom achieved semi-State status and I note that the Deputy recognises that fact. The question of reappointment or otherwise of any chairman comes up for consideration at the end of the term of office, which in this case is December 1991.
Having regard to the fact that everybody in this House was very pleased at the Minister's intervention to cause Cablelink, if it must be taken from under RTE, to be taken under the control of Telecom in the national and strategic interest, and having regard to the information I have tried to put before the Minister on a few occasions that this was done really for the purpose of preparing Telecom for privatisation, would the Minister now take the opportunity to assure the House that this present Government have no intention of facilitating the present chairman of Telecom Éireann in privatising that company.
That is distinctly a separate matter.
Will the Chair allow me to rephrase the question?
Please, Deputy Rabbitte, the Chair is anxious to make some progress at Question Time and it treats all questions as being of equal importance. We have now been working here for some 40 minutes and we have only been able to deal with some five questions.
May I again ask a question after Deputy O'Sullivan has put his question?
I will allow the Deputy to put a final supplementary question.
Question No. 9 is a question on the privatisation of Telecom Éireann.
In view of the recent statements on privatisation by the Chairman of Telecom Éireann, would the Minister not consider that there is now a conflict of interests and that effectively the chairman cannot serve two masters and that he cannot be advocating privatisation while he heads up a State industry. I think there is definite conflict of interest and the honourable thing to do would be to resign.
There is a specific question, Question No. 9, dealing with the element of privatisation. Let us wait until we come to that question, if we come to it within the appropriate time, to deal with that matter.
A final supplementary, Deputy Rabbitte.
May I ask the Minister if he can assure the House that the present campaign by the current Chairman of Telecom Eireann will not lead to legislation being brought before this House, as has happened in the case of Irish Life, for the privatisation of Telecom Éireann?
Views expressed by the chairman of Telecom Éireann in relation to the status and otherwise of Telecom are the private views of the chairman and do not reflect the Government's view.