There is widespread speculation that the Taoiseach will appoint the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to the position of European Commissioner. I will not ask him to comment on that today, but there are a number of unanswered questions about the Minister's suitability. Recently, in what is a feature of the Government, he appointed seven former Fine Gael and Labour Party councillors to State boards, and he is also mired in controversy when it comes to the planning process. He appointed as deputy chairperson of An Bord Pleanála an individual who was the former technical director of RPS consulting engineers, a private company that framed a series of controversial projects which have come before An Bord Pleanála. The Minister also extended this person's term of office. This individual voted to approve contentious projects on which RPS Group was a consultant, which had been rejected by An Bord Pleanála inspectors. These include an apartment development in Dún Laoghaire and a sewage treatment scheme in County Donegal. He also approved a controversial wind farm at Cullenagh, County Laois. These clearly raise questions of a conflict of interest. RPS Group consultants also advised EirGrid to install overhead pylons, and they were also among the consultants employed at a cost of €85 million by Uisce Éireann, in which two former senior RPS Group executives now hold senior positions. Is it not the case that unless these matters are clarified, it would be inappropriate for the Taoiseach to nominate the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the position of Commissioner?

The Government has changed the process of appointing State board chairpersons, and those who wish to can apply through the publicjobs.ie website for consideration for appointment to State boards.

For the first time since the foundation of the State, persons deemed appropriate for appointment to State boards go before the relevant Oireachtas committee to bring forward the experience they offer to the board in question. It is a case of appointing to boards people with a measure of experience.

Who are those in Fine Gael-----

Will the Deputy, please, stay quiet?

I am sorry, but it is a fact.

Sinn Féin appointed the chair of the advisory board of safefood, Ms Lynn Boylan, a very good candidate, to do the job. I will not comment on the basis of the Deputy's first question.

I thought cronyism was dead.

That is not good enough. The Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan appointed the former technical director of a private company to a pivotal and important position. When he took office, one of the first things he did was to close the inquiry the former Minister, Mr. John Gormley, had initiated into planning irregularities and alleged planning corruption in seven local council areas. In County Donegal a senior planner has made serious allegations and the Minister has been made aware of extremely serious planning irregularities in County Wicklow, including the highly controversial M11 rezoning decision. A range of planning debacles and controversies surround Uisce Éireann and the Poolbeg incinerator. When a European Commissioner is nominated, there is serious scrutiny of his or her suitability at EU level. Should there not be the same scrutiny in the Dáil? The Taoiseach talks about a new way of doing business, transparency and accountability. Will he facilitate a process in order that any nominee appointed to such a position would answer questions in the Dáil or before a committee before being sent to the European Union?

Anybody nominated by any country to serve as a Commissioner of the European Union must attend the European Parliament for sessions lasting three or four hours on his or her suitability and appropriateness for appointment. For the first time ever, the Deputy's party has a number of representatives there.

We are talking about here.

Bring back John Gormley.

Whoever is nominated as European Commissioner, these representatives will have the opportunity to ask questions in the fora they represent and where the Commissioner will represent the country, that is, at the European Parliament.

But not here.

All MEPs, over 750, will have the opportunity during the three or four hour session to ask questions.

What about Deputies and Senators?

When somebody is appointed from here, the Deputy can have whatever questions he likes asked by his party's members in the European forum.