Will the Minister for Transport outline the criteria used in appointing members of State boards under his aegis, particularly Aer Rianta? The reasons I bring up the issue are very obvious. It is currently a very topical matter, particularly as it relates to the board of Aer Rianta which is in the middle of a public controversy. The reason any objective person would assume one is appointed to the board of a semi-State body is he or she has two qualities, first, expertise in the area and, second, independence. In almost all companies, particularly public companies, the requirement of corporate governance is not so much expertise, but, above all, that directors should have independence in order that they would not be subject to external or internal hidden pressures.
I suggest to the Minister that this is not the case in regard to semi-State bodies. The record is one of political parties willy nilly appointing friends and supporters to semi-State bodies as a priority above their interest, expertise and knowledge of the industry or business which they have been appointed to safeguard. This is an open secret, not something any party particularly hides. It just becomes Buggins's turn every five years. If the political landscape changes and a person is normally not reappointed, someone from the opposite political party takes his or her place and is either a supporter or a member of the party concerned.
Unfortunately, the record is peppered with such incidents. This does not just apply to Fianna Fáil, it also applies to Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Democratic Left and the Progressive Democrats. There is a ruthless tendency to appoint friends to such positions. There was the situation in the VHI, with which the Minister will be undoubtedly familiar, which was full of members and supporters of the Fine Gael Party and supporters of the Minister for Health and Children. It is time to end this phenomenon. There would be a great opportunity, if the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, took my suggestion on board, in the case of Aer Rianta where two appointments must be made. He should make them in such a way that he could not be accused of appointing members or supporters of the party. He has the opportunity in the midst of this controversy.
Meetings of the directors of Aer Rianta must be fairly unique spectacles. Members of the board could be forgiven for believing they are at a side show of a Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis or a Fianna Fáil cumann meeting. The chairman, Mr. Noel Hanlon, is a long time friend and supporter of Fianna Fáil. Board member, Mr. Dermot O'Leary, is a member of the national executive of Fianna Fáil. Another director, Mr. Tadhg O'Donoghue, was a recent Fianna Fáil director of elections in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown while Ms Freda Hayes is closely associated with the Soldiers of Destiny.
Fianna Fáil has a vice-like grip on Aer Rianta, which is not good for the semi-State body. The Minister has been given a Heaven sent opportunity to break the flawed practice of appointing party loyalists to key positions in semi-State bodies. He should break the mould of political patronage by refusing to appoint both Mr. O'Leary and Mr. O'Donoghue who are now up for reappointment or replacement.
I take this opportunity of making one or two suggestions. Now that the joint committee dealing with semi-State bodies has been abolished, those appointed as directors to semi-State companies should be subject to some sort of public examination and scrutiny at the very least. It would not be beyond the ability of this House to ask fair and sensible questions of the people concerned at a public hearing about their qualifications for sitting on such boards. We should also consider the very dubious practice of appointing members of the so-called social partnership to the boards simply and solely because they are social partners.