THE FINE Gael-Labour Coalition has installed large numbers of people with party links to State boards since coming into office, despite promises to end the system of political patronage.
Those appointed include at least 20 past or present party members, strategists or donors. In no case was the link identified at the time the Government announced the appointment.
Five out of six judges nominated by the Government have links to Fine Gael or Labour, along with two of the three members of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board appointed by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.
An examination of appointments made since last March also reveals that half of all departments have yet to recruit board members through public advertisement, as promised by the Government. Only five departments have so far fully implemented the commitment to seek expressions of interest online.
Among the latest appointments are those made to the boards of Pobal, which manages social inclusion programmes, and the Road Safety Authority.
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has made three new appointments to the authority, including Ronan Melvin, who lives in the Minister’s constituency and nominated a Fine Gael candidate in the 2009 local elections, and Young Fine Gael activist Seán Finan.
Last week the Government appointed four new directors to Pobal, including Labour councillor Mae Sexton and former Labour election candidate Siobhán McLoughlin. Ms Sexton, however, has said she will not be taking up the post.
Fine Gael and Labour politicians have repeatedly promised a comprehensive reform of the political system and, specifically, the elimination of political patronage.
Labour, in its manifesto, promised to end appointments as a form of political patronage and for rewarding insiders. In future, appointments would be based on a “demonstrable capacity to do the job”, it said.
The party promised to publicly advertise all vacancies, not just the chairs, and to ensure that Oireachtas committees considered the suitability of nominated candidates.
Fine Gael, in its manifesto, promised to tackle “cronyism and feather-bedding”. As well as scrapping some agencies, the party said paid directorships would be advertised.