Vol. 454 No. 3
52 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the procedure adopted by him and his Department in the recent appointment of the Chairperson of the Combat Poverty Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10446/95]
I would like first to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Gerry Flynn, who is retiring, at his own request, on 21 June from the position of chairperson of the Combat Poverty Agency. I would like to place on record my appreciation of the time and commitment he devoted to the office of chairperson over the past six years and to acknowledge the significant development of the agency which took place during his time as chairperson.
In accordance with the powers vested in me under section 7 of the Combat Poverty Agency Act, 1986, I am appointing Ms Anna Lee as chairperson with effect from 21 June. In accordance with normal procedures, I informed my Cabinet colleagues informally in advance of making this appointment.
Anna Lee is well known for her expertise in the areas which fall within the remit of the Combat Poverty Agency. She has social work and community work qualifications and has extensive experience of working with voluntary organisations and local community projects, for example Cherish and the ISPCC. She is currently Manager of the Tallaght Partnership Company Ltd., which is one of the companies responsible for local development in designated disadvantaged areas within the EU Operational Programme for Local, Urban and Rural Development.
She is currently chairperson of Cherish and a member of the board of Crosscare (the Catholic Social Service Conference of the Dublin Archdiocese), the Government Task Force on Ending Long-term Unemployment of South Dublin County Council Enterprise Board and of the Combat Poverty Agency working group on community development. She also lectures part-time in community work in Trinity College.
This is an important time for the Combat Poverty Agency as it has been given a strategic role in the anti-poverty strategy recently announced by the Government arising out of the United Nations World Summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995.
It was essential, therefore, that I appoint a person with the required knowledge, experience and skills to the post of chairperson of the agency and I am delighted that Anna Lee who is eminently qualified for the post has agreed to take on the job.
