A Bill that proposes more accountability in the process of appointments to public bodies and task forces is to be debated in the Dáil tonight and tomorrow.
The Green Party Bill aims to "clean up" the way in which people are appointed to public bodies, taskforces, executive boards and advisory agencies to ensure that all appointments are made on grounds of merit "not cronyism".
The Bill proposes a unit in the Commission for Public Service Appointments that would draw up a code of practice and carry out open competition and recruitment processes for departments.
Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent said: "Executive bodies, taskforces and advisory agencies have mushroomed in the last decade. There are over 500 such bodies, many of which perform extremely significant functions in the running of the country.
"In its term of office, this Government has been responsible for over 6,000 such appointments. It has perhaps been in the Government's interest to leave procedures open to the possibility of Ministerial patronage, and this has led to some questionable decision making in the past," said Mr Sargent.
"We seek to end the possibility of putting friends in high places. As well as banning corporate donations and establishing a national register of lobbyists the Green Party aims to put a stop to undemocratic practices and restore public confidence in the political system," he added
Green Party John Gormley said: "We are not saying that all appointments are questionable, but the process is far too ad hoc, random and potentially fused with subjective judgements."