And how do you explain Dessie Larkin?
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/humiliation-for-gormley-over-posts-1494980.html

As Pidge pointed out, whether it was sloppy, or agenda-driven, the Sunday Times piece missed an important angle in its reporting – the reforms that will be introduced under the new Programme for Government. (They also over-estimated the likely expenses for PRTB members by about 300%, but I guess trivia like accurate figures should never stand in the way of a sensational headline.)

As somebody pointed out over on p.ie (in a failed attempt to shame us), the Green Party has long pushed for reform of the appointments system and, in opposition, used its private members time to push this agenda. Far from being embarrassed about this, since entering Government we have moved this agenda forward, initially on a pro-active base within our departments (the Oireachtas Committee before Christmas nominated members to the board of the new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland); and more recently and systemically while negotiating the Renewed Programme for Government in October – as Pidge said. We didn’t have the leverage to achieve these reforms in 2007, but we did last year and we went for it.

It does little to achieve the overall aims of reform to point out that this is a system we inherited pretty much unchanged over the lifetime of several governments including the members of the opposition now abhorred by it, but hopefully it means we can count on their unwavering support when we bring in the necessary legislation.

And as for it not being in “the ‘no brown envelopes and jobs for the boys/girls’ playbook,” – we have appointed the best people to positions on the board of public bodies irrespective of their political background* and while working to reform the system and make it fully open and transparent.

Would it be more morally pure if we left it to Fianna Fail to make all of the appointments? What exactly would that achieve?

* Have a look at some of the appointments to the DDDA, SEI and Anglo Irish.

@steve white John Gormley appointed David Healy as one of his full time political advisers when he became a minister in 2007. David has been an environmental campaigner for decades, involved with Friends of the Irish Environment, Feasta and Comhar, and has expertise in environmental law. He’s hardly lacking in qualifications for the job.

In it, he claimed to have signed up a few hundred members, who would vote for or against a Programme for Government, purely on the basis of its contents regarding animal rights.

Not sure if it was true or not, and I’ve no idea why he decided to say it on radio. Either way, didn’t come across well.

Sorry Sean, you seem to be a bit confused on this matter. They’re not full time posts – they don’t meet that often. If I recall correctly, the basic payment is usually around five or six thousand euro per annum. The problems associated with double-jobbing don’t really apply here, since they don’t even approach being full time jobs.