‘Begg is the man for the pensions job’, says Independent Alliance chairman Feargal Quinn

Independent Alliance chairman Feargal Quinn has praised the decision to appoint David Begg to the pensions authority, despite his group declaring the move was a “crony” appointment.

Mr Quinn told the Irish Examiner that Mr Begg was a very impressive person, would do great work, and was “the man for the job”.

The surprise comments from the businessman come after the Independent Alliance brought a motion of no confidence this week against Tánaiste Joan Burton for making the appointment.

Mr Quinn was chairman of An Post in the 1980s when Mr Begg led postal workers with the Communications Workers Union.

Mr Quinn personally congratulated a Cabinet minister this week for making Mr Begg chairman of the pensions authority, a €20,000-a year post.

Fergal Quinn

Ms Burton used a little-known clause in new public service appointment rules and directly appointed Mr Begg. But the state board post was not advertised and nobody was interviewed.

Ms Burton faced stiff criticism in the Dáil this week during a motion of no confidence brought by the Independent Alliance and its leader Shane Ross, who said the appointment smacked of “cronyism”, after Mr Begg’s previous support for Labour.

Mr Quinn, while having hesitations around the way the former ICTU leader was appointed, said he was the right person for the job. “I think he’s [Mr Begg] a very impressive person to have. I think the only thing is the manner he was appointed.

“If only the Tánaiste had approached him and said ‘put your name forward’.

“I think he will do a great job. It’s not a problem in legal terms, but it would have been more acceptable if she had done it differently. He’s the man for the job. If there were other candidates, he would have won.”

Meanwhile, Labour TD Arthur Spring has refused to reveal the person he says Mr Ross wanted assigned to a state board when he allegedly lobbied for an appointment.

The Kerry TD had threatened in the Dáil to reveal the names of people Mr Ross had allegedly tried to have added to semi-state boards. But he stepped back from doing so yesterday when contacted, saying Mr Ross had owned up to his actions in the Dáil on Wednesday night.

“Shane Ross believes in transparency and should come forward with names otherwise he is making a joke of the position in the Dáil. If he doesn’t disclose names [of those he wanted appointed], I don’t have the list. I wanted to show him up for being hypocritical. I’ve one name [that he lobbied for], he’s a bunch of names.”

Mr Ross did not return calls last night. He told the Dáil, during the debate, he had suggested names of people for state boards as “alternatives to the cronyism” and would continue to do so.