Sir, – Since I became Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have made 41 public appointments. I have abolished one board altogether. Of the 41, only five have Fine Gael connections that I am aware of. One is the chief financial officer of a major company, another a former airline chief financial officer, the third, the IT director of a multinational. There is a former president of Macra and a former Minister who has waived any fees. The bar for appointment is very high indeed if you have political connections and probably higher than for those who do not.
For the first time, all appointments were advertised and four of the five applied.
I have appointed five chairs. All have been vetted by an Oireachtas Committee, which is a major change. None have Fine Gael or Labour connections. A reasonable person reading your recent coverage of this matter would have a very different impression. – Yours, etc,