asked the Minister for defence if he will indicate in detail the changes, if any, made in the composition and/or the terms of reference of any State board, commission or committee under the aegis of his Department since 14th March, 1973.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Board Composition.
102.
Changes have been made in the personnel of the Army Pensions Board. The services of Lieutenant-General S. Mac Eoin, chairman, and of Dr. M. Finn, one of the two ordinary members, were terminated. Mr. H.D. Porter, B.L., and Dr. A.E. Carragher, M.D., D.P.H., have been appointed chairman and ordinary member respectively.
Would the Minister state why these changes have taken place?
This is a pretty usual matter.
Jobs for the boys, is it not? Yes. Thanks.
On 15th May, 1957, the then Government terminated the appointment of the late Mr. Seán Liddy as a member of the advisory board. On the appointment of Lieutenant-General Seán Mac Eoin a gentleman was asked to resign from the pensions board and Lieutenant-General Seán Mac Eoin was appointed. I may say that I have nothing but the highest regard for the services of both Lieutenant-General Mac Eoin and Dr. Finn and that I interviewed both of them before their services were terminated and discussed the matter with them.
Does the Minister consider, while he has made remarks complimenting these people, that political affiliation comes before obvious ability to judge in these matters?
I certainly was not activated by political considerations in this regard.
What was the Minister activated by?
I should like to point out to the Deputies opposite and to the House that the gentlemen concerned had served for some years and that this is an appointment which is made by the Minister for Defence with the approval of the Minister for Finance and that it has been changed around. I can give more details of the changing around of them. A person gets a few years in this and is changed around and that is in the normal way of doing it.
I regret that I did not hear the names of the two new appointees. Would the Minister be kind enough to repeat their names, their addresses and their qualifications?
Mr. H.D. Porter is a barrister-at-law of Wolverton, Barnhill Road, Dalkey, and Dr. A.E. Carragher of Chilham, Butterfield Avenue, Dublin, is the other appointee.
Their qualifications?
The qualifications of barrister-at-law would be quite obvious and the qualifications of a doctor who is an M.D. and D.P.H. are also obvious.
I have one supplementary.
I have given the Deputy a great deal of latitude.
Could I have one supplementary, please?
Yes.
Thank you. Would the Minister state if these men had any previous experience in dealing with Army pensions or, in fact, with the Army at all?
They had as much experience as some of the people asking questions.
That is a separate question but in my view the two persons appointed are of high integrity and very considerable experience and, as you can see, have degrees that prove they are men who have all the ability that is required.
Have they experience of the Army?
The Minister has said their qualifications are obvious.
(Interruptions.)
Will Deputies allow Deputy Gibbons to ask a supplementary question?
The Minister has said the qualifications of these two gentlemen are obvious. I want to know in what way their qualifications are obvious. Does a degree in law or a degree in medicine make a man in some way more qualified to serve on an Army pensions board than a person who has not such a degree?
We are involving ourselves in argument at this stage. The Chair is passing on to the next question.