Order of Business
The Ceann Comhairle sought agreement to the week’s business. Deputy Mac Lochlainn and Deputy McDonald objected and used the exchange to press the Taoiseach on the Climate Change Advisory Council appointments before attention moved on to MetroLink and other questions.
It has been agreed that the rapporteur's report will be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for business this week agreed to?
Comment on this
Not agreed. There is real concern about the manner in which the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, appointed two close colleagues to the Climate Change Advisory Council. There has clearly been no formal public appointments practice involved with those two appointments. We have been through the Katherine Zappone affair and the Oireachtas was scandalised by all of that for months.
Comment on this
We need the Taoiseach to tell us when the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, will come before this Dáil and make a statement outlining the process that led to those two appointments. We need to know if he will come in at the earliest opportunity and if the Taoiseach will ask him to come in.
Comment on this
My understanding is that the Deputy and the party opposite did not raise this issue at the Business Committee.
Comment on this
It only came to public attention over the weekend in newspaper reports.
Comment on this
I am enthused by the Deputy's concern on close colleagues being appointed to positions of authority. He might look within his own party, where many close colleagues were appointed to many positions on a whole lot of bodies in Northern Ireland.
I would say that it is wrong to impugn the two individuals concerned. They are people of considerable expertise in the field.
Comment on this
They just happen to be cronies, is it?
Comment on this
Question put: "That the proposal for dealing with this week's business be agreed to."
Please note that in relation to the above division, Deputy Mick Barry inadvertently voted in the seat of Deputy Gino Kenny, thereby recording a vote against the name of that Deputy, instead of recording a vote against his own name.
Do you agree with this result?