Political appointments - Deathbed power grab unacceptable

WHEN Bertie Ahern, at the height of his considerable pomp, admitted he appointed people to state boards for no reason other than they were his friends it confirmed what had been apparent for a very long time.

People are appointed to bolster the power, to support the interests of parties in government, rather than bring specific expertise to the enterprises involved.

The process shows political patronage at its shabbiest and diminishes the practice of our democracy. Pathetically, some of those who imagine they are being honoured are used as the placemen of a compromised process. It also diminishes the idea of serving on a board and we have seen the tragic consequences of that imprudent oversight over recent years.

All parties have engaged in this banana-republic grab as power slips from their grasp. This government is no different and around 40 people have been appointed to state boards or bodies in the past month. This interference in our future by a government that will very soon be a part of our past is, as it always is, wrong.

The loading of various bodies in this curtain-call stampede brings discredit on our public administration and damages our reputation. We may have scoffed at these accusations once but, as the bonds markets have shown, international perception is everything and we pay an extraordinary price for playing fast and loose with the standards expected of a strong democracy.

One of the 40 people involved is barrister Rosemary Healy-Rae, a daughter of Jackie Healy-Rae. She was re-appointed for another three years to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal along with unsuccessful Fianna Fáil 1998 election candidate barrister Sinead Behan by retiring Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.

Though Ms Healy-Rae’s re-appointment came just as her father’s vote was more important than ever to Mr Ahern’s government, she insists the two events are not connected. Nevertheless, no matter how well-qualified she may be, it is entirely legitimate to wonder if there is a connection. Not to even ask the question would be naive. Other jurisdictions, more precious of their democracy than we seem to be, might test that theory more vigorously than we ever will.

Neither is it unfair to ask if this government retains the authority to make one of appointments so central to the state’s security — the next Garda Commissioner — with a wave of a trembling hand from its deathbed.

Fine Gael are as guilty as anyone in this regard. Nevertheless, they have demanded no further appointments be made to state or semi-state boards by this government. The party’s enterprise spokesman Richard Bruton pledged, in July, that if in power his party would replace every state board within six months.

Of course there will be questions too if Mr Bruton’s promised clear-out ever comes to pass. Will the members of these boards or quangos appointed by this government fall for no reason other than the fact they support either Fianna Fáil or the Greens? Will they be replaced by others whose only qualifications are different political loyalties?

Neither of these situations is ideal and, at a point when the arguments for reform were never stronger, we must find a way to fill these positions that is as far beyond reproach as it can be. An independent commission would seem to be an obvious solution but new standards of behaviour would be a far better response from our politicians.