A Tipperary TD has reiterated his total opposition to the appointment of a Housing tsar to run governments Housing Activation Office.
The position would reportedly have a salary greater than that of the Taoiseach.
Brendan McDonagh, chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency, had been closely linked with the role but he withdrew his name from the contest.
On Tipp Today earlier Labour Deputy Alan Kelly said the Housing Minister should be doing the job.
“I mean the Housing Tsar is the Minister for Housing and having to get somebody else come in to do your job is just ridiculous. We were going to pay somebody double the amount of a Taoiseach to be answerable to the Secretary General of a Department and to a Minister even though you’re being paid multiples of what they’re being paid. And they report into the Taoiseach.
“I mean it’s just insane – you’re elected as a TD, you go into government, you become a Minister, it’s a privilege – you do your job, you don’t outsource it.”
