THE Greens will seek a major reform of the decades-long tradition of party supporters being appointed to state boards in this week's planned talks on the re-negotiation of the programme for government.

The party's negotiators – likely to include communications minister Eamon Ryan and senator Dan Boyle – will be looking for significant changes in how directors are appointed to state bodies.

They will be demanding that the emphasis be shifted "from party affiliation to qualifications, ability and relevant experience".

Possible options for discussion include:

* Future chairman-designates of state boards having to go before an Oireachtas Committee for ratification as in the US.

* An extended role for the Public Appointments Commission or a similar newly created body in assessing and selecting potential directors.

* An ending of the current system where the nominations of directors are solely the remit of the line minister to allow for nominations from the public or relevant organisations.

There have been calls for the reform of the system of political appointments for well over half a century but they have generally been resisted by the government of the day, which has largely – but not exclusively – tended to appoint its own supporters to key positions in state bodies and agencies.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Boyle said his party was "open" to looking at different options as to how the current system could be reformed.

Asked if he felt Fianna Fáil would be amenable to such a proposal, Boyle said: "We're hopeful that the negotiation process will be a receptive one and there is a willingness to re-invent the government."

Talks between the two parties are likely to begin by the middle of this week although a final programme may not be agreed until after the Lisbon referendum on 2 October.

The Green Party leadership needs to secure a two-thirds endorsement from its membership for the new programme at a special convention likely to be held on the second Saturday in October.

Failure to achieve that would inevitably result in the government falling.