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Conor Lenihan doesn’t know Technology. Does that matter?
Read more about: Broadband and Telecoms, Fianna Fail 
Conor Lenihan Junior minister for science, technology, innovation and natural resources. Is taken to task quiet funnily by Sunday Business Post Journalist Adrian Weckler. My favourite bit.
L: “I do have a grounding, I have told you. You didn’t research your piece properly. You obviously didn’t know that I worked with Denis O’Brien for 10 years.”
Me: “Everyone knows that, it’s even on Wikipedia.”
L: “Wikipedia? Sure that’s not source. You could go in and write that yourself. That’s no source.”
Me: “No I can’t just go in and write that myself.”
L: “You can.”
Me: “No I can’t.”
L: “You can.”
Me: “No I can’t.”
But does it matter?
Surely if we expect that ministers to have a background on their brief then shouldn’t we expect an Economist in the Finance Brief? And if none is elected by the people then one should be appointed to the Dail? Or a member of the Army to Defence or a doctor to health or a teacher in Education (well we do that has it worked better?) I have debated this with friends before and I am not convinced that the Minister needs to be an expert in the field. Surely that is what the department heads and advisers are for. To give the Minster the nit-gritty know how. Otherwise why have a democracy when a meritocracy would be efficient in appointing ministers? That of course does not say that Conor Lenihan is good.
I’m (very much) no fan of Fredo, but to say that he was “taken to task” by Weckler is a disservice to the facts in this case, i.e. Wikipedia has repeatedly proven vulnerable to manipulation.
Well you could say that putting someone with no knowledge of technology in charge of it will help reassure the segments of the population who feel increasingly isolated by today’s high tech world.
It’s the same principle as putting an obese person in charge of health or making a man with no leadership skills Taoiseach.
But then Colm should we chose members of parliament on the basis that they are ideally suited to one role in particular. I.E should we have a national election. Where each party puts forward a candidate for a particular ministry? Rather then the present system based on constituencies. Is there anyone in the dail with any tech experience? I am not sure there is. So what can you do other then force the election of someone with tech experience even though no one voted for them.
Just give the guy chance to prove himself.
from what I am reading the article sound too personel,
is it fair to say that maybe jelousy!