asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will allow beet growers to nominate persons to the board of the Irish Sugar Company.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Sugar Company Board.
28.
The power of nominating directors to the board of CSET is, under the relevant legislation, vested in the Minister for Agriculture. That legislation does not provide for nominations by any other body.
Do I gather that the beet growers have no right to nominate members to the board of CSET as the legislation stands?
In general a statutory right of nomination to commercial State bodies is provided only if there is a substantial financial input from the nominating interest. However, 99 per cent of CSET's capital comes from taxation. That seems to be the reason for the inhibition on the Government in appointing directors.
Does the Minister think there is a need for the beet growing industry to have their own nominees on the board?
If it were not for that statutory right to which I referred I would give the matter every consideration. It seems anomalous that the workers have four directors on the board out of a total of 12 and that the growers have no official representatives. There is one beet grower represented on the board but not as a representative of the BGA.
What plans has the Minister to change that situation? Could he see his way to giving each factory area a board representative?
There is a statutory limit to what I can do in this regard. I sympathise with the point of view put forward by Deputy O'Leary and Deputy O'Keeffe and I will give the matter consideration.
I should like to see this decision taken before the membership of the board comes up for review.
I am glad to hear that reaction from the Minister. During my brief term as Minister for Agriculture this matter was of real concern to me. I had discussions with my officials on the matter. Is the Minister aware that there is very real concern in the Department about the overloaded and overweighted nature of the board of directors of the Irish Sugar Company, and that a look at the statutory situation is required as the Minister has suggested he will do, and that what has been mentioned by Deputy O'Leary and Deputy O'Keeffe should be taken into account now that we have a more realistic type of board in the Irish Sugar Company? That means dealing with the statutory constraints of which I am aware.
Since I took office I have not had any representations from the BGA on this matter. I can see that there is cause for concern on their part because of that lack of representation.
The question has been fully answered and we are now debating policy.