Burton wants more State board appointments through public system

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said more members of State Boards should be selected through the public appointments system.

Her comments come after former Fine Gael TD John Farrelly and a Labour by-election candidate Denis Leonard were appointed to the board of Bord na Mona by Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte.

Ms Burton said she knew Mr Leonard as a teacher and “an absolutely committed environmentalist”.

Ms Burton said she understood he would serve on the board without payment.

However, she said she would like to see more appointments carried out through the public appointments system in an interview with Pat Kenny on Newstalk today.

“I have approached the appointments I’ve made, and they’ve been few enough, via the public appointments service,” Ms Burton said.

“For instance, somebody who was well-known as a whistleblower in relation to the banking, Eugene McErlean, he was one of my appointees. I specifically sought to go outside. I would like to see more of that happening.”

Turning to the imminent reshuffle, Ms Burton said there would be changes at Cabinet but stressed she did not want to assume she would win the Labour leadership contest.

Ms Burton said all Labour Ministers had done an “excellent” job.

“But what Labour Party members are saying through the leadership process and through the decision of Eamon Gilmore to retire as leader is that they want change,” she said.

The new Labour leader would not have a conversation with Taoiseach Enda Kenny about the matter until the party contest was over.

“I’ve simply not allowed myself to think about anything around appointments until the election is over.”