Blindsided Taoiseach Must Reverse Insider Zappone Appointment with Transparent Recruitment Process. - Tóibín
Responding to the Taoiseach being blindsided by the nomination of Katherine Zappone to a lucrative UN position, Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called for the Taoiseach to reverse this act of cronyism and initiate a transparent, competitive process open to all qualified interested parties to fill the vacancy.
An Teachta Tóibín: “The appointment and manner of the appointment were acts of insider cronyism that this country thought it had left behind. Fine Gael stated that after the appointment of Séamus Wolfe to the Supreme Court that we would have a new era of transparency in the appointments of people to senior positions. That just a few months later the Taoiseach was blindsided by the Tánaiste at the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess with another appointment shows that FG has learned little. Katherine Zappone is a friend and former colleague of the Táiniste, a Minister who lost her seat in the last general election and now is given a new plumb job by that Minister just over a year after she left office. This former Minister will have received a single payment of 75% of their salary on leaving office and phased payments for months after leaving office of 75% of their salary initially and then falling to 50% of salary. Just as these payments are coming to an end the former Minister has now been endowed with a plush job, with a high salary and regular international travel without so much as a job interview, with all expenses paid for by the tax payer."
What’s really incredible is that cabinet Ministers sitting at the table where the decision was taken were unaware of the actual roll, the salary or the length of contract. Even the Taoiseach was in dark. Given this lack of knowledge its clear that Taoiseach should not have rubberstamped the decision. We are calling on the Government to reverse the decision and create a transparent recruitment process that is open to all those qualified and interested. The culture of cronyism cannot be allowed continue in Irish society. Jobs and roles must be given on the basis of merit”.
