Sinn Féin TD for Louth and East Meath Imelda Munster today questioned the Taoiseach on the matter of Minister Eamon Ryan appointing his former adviser and an ex-Green Party candidate to roles on the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC).

Teachta Munster asked him if he was happy to turn a blind eye to this type of practice as a result of being desperate to hold on to his position as Taoiseach.

Teachta Munster said:

“Last weekend it was reported in the media that Minister Ryan appointed two friends of his to the Climate Change Advisory Council.

“During pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation underpinning the CCAC, an Oireachtas Committee recommended that appointments to the council be through an open process – the government rejected this and it was not included in the bill. 

“It is easy now to see why that might have happened.

“This government has learned nothing since ‘Zappone-gate’. Instead of ducking and diving and trying to cover themselves, they should ensure that positions of this type are filled through an open, competitive and transparent process to finally put an end to the crony culture that pervades this government.

“The Taoiseach is supposed to be in charge, and it is clear that he has no control over what some of his Ministers are up to.

“Fine Gael ran rings around him during the Zappone scandal, and now the Greens are following suit.

“The Taoiseach’s response today was to read out the CVs of the two newly-appointed members. Nobody is questioning their credentials – we are questioning the process by which they were appointed.

“The Taoiseach is missing the point – all we want is some transparency and an open and transparent process for posts of this type.

“It is clear that the government has no interest in reform of this type.

“My party colleagues on the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee have written to the committee Chair, Green TD Brian Leddin, asking the committee to write to Minister Ryan asking him to appear before the committee to explain what happened here.

“We need to know why Minister Ryan ignored the committee’s recommendations regarding an open process, opposition amendments as well as the government’s own guidelines on appointments to state boards.”