Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I disagree. I believe the functioning of these authorities and the effectiveness of the goals of these authorities is undermined by their inability to be fully accountable to public representatives. Again, it may well be that it is standard Government policy, but it is a poor Government policy and one that diminishes accountability. Ultimately, it has the cost of diminishing the quality of policymaking because it is not allowed to be questioned or discussed in any way.

Perhaps, if the Minister of State sees it as a compromise that the Government funds these bodies and they should not speak about Government policy, that is a problem in itself. These are meant to be independent bodies and they should be free to speak. They should not be gagged in that regard. The Minister of State is correct that it is standard practice but it is a poor, newly introduced standard practice that has been creeping through in the past few years and it should be called out at every instance, including this one.