Public must not buy Haughey era FF plan to put unelected friends in Cabinet – Humphreys

The proposal from Fianna Fail to have unelected ‘experts’ appointed to Cabinet positions is barmy, anti-democratic, and is a throwback to the Haughey era of political patronage and favouritism.

This proposal is contained in Fianna Fail’s set of political reforms that would actually set our parliamentary democracy back a number of generations, rather than deliver change.

In fact, removing Ministers from their parliamentary duties and substituting them with so-called ‘experts’ is an abuse of democracy rather than a radical reform. Who would these people be? Would they simply be drawn from the friends of Fianna Fail? Would we face the prospect of Sean Fitzpatrick in the Department of Finance, or Paddy the Plasterer as Minister for Foreign Affairs?

Labour in government has delivered real change and reform to our parliament and to public life. The Oireachtas sits longer and legislates more. We have introduced Freedom of Information legislation, and new laws on lobbying and to protect whistleblowers. These are the type of changes that have made a real difference to our democracy and public life.

The public should be extremely wary of madcap ideas to substitute elected people for Fianna Fail cronies.

ENDS

For more information contact Kevin Humphreys on 0872989103