The Irish Independent reports that the Green Party began offering its members the chance to serve on state boards just months after entering Government — despite previous promises to eliminate “crass cronyism” and “jobs for the boys”.
The Irish Independent has seen a copy of a confidential email sent from the Green Party’s head office after the party entered coalition with Fianna Fail in 2007.
It stated that the party’s “medium- to long-term” objective was to reform the State’s public appointments system.
“In the meantime, we are putting procedures in place to help us to nominate suitable persons as positions arise. We would be delighted to receive suggestions of persons who might be suitable for consideration,”it said.
Increase
The opposition has highlighted the increase in the number of Green Party members on state boards, which now stands at seven. The most recent addition is former Green Seanad candidate Martin Hogan, who was appointed to the board of Fas last month and will receive around €12,000 in annual fees.
Green Party member Caroline Burrell, who lost her council seat in last year’s local elections, was recently appointed to the board of the National Disability Authority.
Green Party Junior Agriculture Minister Trevor Sargent set up a new state quango last year, the Foras Organach — Organic Food Agency — and appointed his own special adviser, and former Green Party general secretary, Stiofan Nutty, to it.
The Green Party headquarters email, dated December 13, 2007, said the people nominated “may or may not be politically affiliated” to the Green Party but had to be of the“highest character and integrity”.
The confidential email mentioned the formation of a new party group to nominate Green Party members and non-party members to state boards.
Green Party senator Dan Boyle confirmed his party had set up such a group — made up of a parliamentary party member, a national council member, a party worker and an outside management expert.
Green Party leader and Environment Minister John Gormley last year appointed two former Green Party councillors, Vincent P Martin and Gene Feighery, to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, where they can receive up to €25,000 a year.
Mr Gormley also appointed Green Party Louth county councillor Mark Dearey as chairman of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna — the Library Council — although this position is worth just €5,000 a year.
Elizabeth Davidson, who ran for the party in last year’s Dublin South by-election, was appointed to the Irish Film Classification Office in 2008.
Mr Boyle published a private members’ bill when in opposition in 2007 to give an Oireachtas committee the power to vet state board appointments. He promised it would put an end to “crass cronyism” and “jobs for the boys”. But when it was reintroduced in the Seanad last October by the opposition, Mr Boyle and his Green Party colleague Senator Deirdre de Burca voted against it — and it was defeated by 25 votes to 23.
Fine Gael enterprise spokes-man Leo Varadkar said the Green Party had engaged in the most appalling acts of cronyism “which would bring shame to the sleaziest member of Fianna Fail”.
