Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2005
174 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of public appointments made in his Department since August 2004; the name of each appointee involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2737/05]
View answerI have made three appointments to the board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange — the Fulbright Commission — since August 2004. My predecessor made five reappointments and three appointments to the DION committee. I will give details of the three people I appointed to the board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange for a two-year term. Dr. Donal Thornhill is a former Chairman of the Higher Education Authority. Professor Joyce O'Connor is the president of the National College of Ireland and Ms Una Halligan is the government and public affairs director of Hewlett Packard Ireland.
The Irish Fulbright Commission finances study, research, teaching and other educational activities between Ireland and the United States. It consists of eight members, four appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and four by the United States Ambassador to Ireland. I expect to appoint a fourth member shortly. The DION committee is an advisory committee to the Government that was established in 1984 in response to concern about the circumstances of Irish emigrants in Britain. My predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Cowen, reappointed the following members to the committee with effect from 1 September 2004: Mr. Michael Forde, who is the chairman of the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester; Dr. Breda Gray, who is a lecturer in social policy at the University of Limerick; Dr. Theresa Joyce, who works for the south London and Maudsley NHS trust; Mr. Jim O'Hara, who works for the Irish Youth Foundation UK; and Ms Catherine Quinn, who is a former member of the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the County Dublin VEC. The following members were newly appointed to the committee by the Minister, Deputy Cowen, with effect from 1 September 2004: Mr. Séamus McGarry, who is the former chairman of the Federation of Irish Societies and a member of the Ireland Fund; Mr. Michael Lonergan, who is a first secretary of the Irish embassy in London; and Ms Amanda Bane, who is a third secretary of the Irish embassy in London.
