Dan Boyle
Question:144 Mr. Boyle asked the Taoiseach the number of nominations and appointments made by him since 6 June 2002; and the number of and areas where vacancies for such appointments will arise and when. [11860/03]
Written Answers. - Ministerial Appointments.
The bodies under the aegis of my Department are: the National Statistics Board, the National Economic and Social Council, the National Economic and Social Forum, the Information Society Commission, the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, the Law Reform Commission and International Financial Services Centre groups.
The following are the changes which are in addition to those stated by me in the House on 11 March 2003. International Financial Services Centre Groups: Mr. Michael Jackson, Matheson Ormsby Prentice, accepted appointment to the IFSC funds working group on 6 March 2003; Mr. Walter Brazil, AIB Capital Markets, was appointed to the Clearing House Group following his appointment as chairman of the IFSC Banking and Treasury Group on 1 May 2003; Mr. John Goggin, Bank of Ireland Outsourcing Services Limited, was appointed to the IFSC Banking and Treasury Group on 1 May 2003. He succeeded Mr. Ken Slattery of Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking who resigned.
Membership of the National Economic and Social Forum comprises representatives from the following four strands: Oireachtas – 15 members based on the composition of the Oireachtas; employer organisations, trade unions and farming organisations – 15 members nominated by business organisations, ICTU and agricultural organisations; voluntary and community sector – 15 members nominated by non-governmental organisations; central Government, local government and independents – 15 members, of which five representatives of Government Departments, five nominated by local government bodies and five independent members nominated by Government. The Government also appoints a chairperson and deputy chairperson. The deputy chairperson is a representative of the Department of the Taoiseach.
The composition of the Oireachtas strand of the forum has changed since June 2002 to reflect the changed composition of the Houses. Members are nominated by the political parties and Independents and some of these vacancies remain to be filled. No other changes have been made since June 2002. The term of office of the current NESF ended at the end of March 2003 and it is expected to be reconstituted shortly.
The term of office of the National Statistics Board will expire in July 2003. The Statistics Act 1993 provides that the board consist of eight members comprising the following seven persons appointed by the Taoiseach: (a) five persons of proven ability and experience in relevant fields, two of whom shall be nominated by the Taoiseach and three of whom shall be nominated by such organisation or organisations as the Taoiseach considers to be representative of the users of official statistics and providers of information under the Act; (b) an assistant secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of the Taoiseach; and (c) an assistant secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of Finance, together with the director general of the CSO, ex officio. The chairperson is appointed by the Taoiseach from among the members of the Board appointed under (a) above.
The term of office of the current National Economic and Social Council expired at the end of March 2003 and it is expected to be reconstituted shortly. Membership of the council is comprised of a chairperson and five persons nominated by agricultural and farming organisations; five persons nominated by business and employers organisations; five persons nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; five persons nominated by community and voluntary organisations; ten other persons nominated by Government, including five Secretaries General of Government Departments and a representative of local government. There are no other vacancies anticipated in the foreseeable future.