More than 400 appointments to State boards and other public bodies are expected to be made by the Government between now and the end of May, during the final period of the coalition's term of office.
A minimum of 405 vacancies is set to be filled on different State bodies, ranging from hospital boards to port and docks companies, as well as agencies of various kinds.
Calling for all appointments to be deferred until the next government took office, Opposition spokesman for justice Jim O'Keeffe claimed many people were chosen in the past for "party political reasons" and he was not aware any urgency existed over current vacancies.
He submitted a parliamentary question to each Cabinet member seeking details of any appointments to "State boards, State bodies or other like entities" that they envisaged making or nominating between late March and the end of May.
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen tops the list with 96 "existing and anticipated" vacancies on such bodies as the National Roads Authority, the Advisory Council on Road Safety and the Dublin Port Company.
Minister for the Environment Dick Roche comes second with 70 positions, including 25 on the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Council and 19 on the Building Regulations Advisory Body.
Minister for Health Mary Harney has 57 vacancies, including 17 on the National Social Work Qualifications Board and 14 on the Dublin Dental Hospital Board.
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey has 55 vacancies, none of them specified in his reply, and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin has a minimum of 42.
Vacancies to be filled by other Ministers are as follows: Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, 23 (minimum); Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, 23; Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, 22; Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue, 13; Minister for Social and Family Affairs Séamus Brennan, 2; Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan, 2.
Mr O'Keeffe said Minister for Education Mary Hanafin had shown "contempt" for parliamentary procedure because she had failed to give any details of vacancies, merely stating that she would follow Cabinet guidelines on "eligibility, transparency and gender balance" in making appointments.
He also complained of a "vague" answer from the Taoiseach, who failed to give specific details on the number of vacancies in his gift.
