Micheál Martin
Question:1. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the board appointments he has made in the past 18 months; if there is a gender balance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40095/12]
View answerTuesday, 23 October 2012
Questions (1, 2, 3, 113, 114)
Gerry Adams
Question:2. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the appointments he has made to State boards since he came into office; if he will outline the procedures for identifying persons for appointments to State boards. [41491/12]
View answer
Seán Fleming
Question:3. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach if he expects members of the Irish diaspora to be appointed to strengthen State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43418/12]
View answerGerry Adams
Question:113. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form all appointments to State boards under his ambit since the Government took office; when the person was appointed; if the position entitles the holder to remuneration and if so the amount in each case; if the appointment was made in accordance with new procedures whereby Departments have to invite expressions of interest from the public in vacancies on the boards under their aegis. [45811/12]
View answerGerry Adams
Question:114. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of chairs of State boards that have been appointed since the Government came into office; if there is a remuneration for the position and if so the amount of same; if the appointee was required to go before Oireachtas Committees to discuss what they have to offer to the particular board or committee to which they are being appointed. [45827/12]
View answerOral answers (15 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, and Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together.
Since coming into office on 9 March 2011, I have made appointments to the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, as set out in the following tables which will be circulated with the Official Report. I can give the Deputy the names here if he so wishes.
The NESC provides guidance to Government on strategic issues for Ireland's economic and social development. Appointments to the NESC are made in accordance with the provisions of the NESDO Act 2006 as amended by the NESC (Alteration of Composition) Order 2010. I appoint members specifically on the basis of nominations from business and employer interests, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, farming and agricultural interests, the community and voluntary sector and the environmental sector. I may also appoint up to six public servants of whom at least one shall represent the Taoiseach and one shall represent the Minister for Finance. These appointments represent relevant Departments to ensure that the work of NESC is integrated with Government policy making. Historically, the chairperson and deputy chairperson posts are filled from my Department at Secretary General and assistant secretary level. NESC members are not entitled to remuneration.
I appointed eight independent members in June and July last year. Of these, four were women and four were men. Women now account for 29% of the council's total membership while men account for 71% of its membership.
There has been one appointment to the National Statistics Board, NSB since I took office. The person concerned is an assistant secretary at my Department and was appointed to the NSB in line with the provisions of the Statistics Act 1993. My functions in respect of the NSB were delegated to the Government Chief Whip, the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Kehoe, who made the appointment in this case. No remuneration is payable to this appointee for this role on the NSB.
In view of the statutory procedures for the appointment of members of the boards of NESC and the NSB, there is limited scope for me to take factors such as gender or whether a person is a member the diaspora into account when I make such appointments. Under the new arrangements for the appointment of State board members which the Government introduced in 2011, Departments now invite expressions of interest from the public in vacancies on the boards of bodies under their aegis on their websites. It is open to all members of the public, including the diaspora, to apply for such positions and all applications will receive appropriate consideration from the Ministers concerned.
The Government appreciates the willingness of individuals based abroad to serve on State boards. Several members of the global Irish network have been appointed to State boards and I expect more will be appointed in the future. The Government will continue to consider suitably qualified members of the diaspora for appointment to State boards, including those who may be members of the global Irish network and other initiatives such as Diaspora 2016.
Tables for Circulation with Official Report in response to question 40095/12
Details of appointments made by the Taoiseach to NESC since 9 March 2011 are set out in the following tables:
|
Name |
Organisation |
Date of Appointment |
|
Mr. Martin Fraser, Chairperson of NESC |
Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach |
August 2011 |
|
Mr. John Shaw, Deputy Chairperson of NESC |
Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach |
January 2012 |
|
Prof. Edgar Morgenroth |
Associate Research Professor, Economic and Social Research Institute |
June 2011 |
|
Prof. John McHale |
Economist, National University of Ireland, Galway |
June 2011 |
|
Prof. Mary Daly |
Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast |
June 2011 |
|
Prof. Anna Davis |
Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin |
June 2011 |
|
Prof. Seán Ó Riain |
Department of Sociology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth |
June 2011 |
|
Dr. Michael O’Sullivan |
Head of Portfolio Strategy and Thematic Research, Credit Suisse, London |
June 2011 |
|
Ms. Mary Walsh |
Chartered Accountant |
June 2011 |
|
Dr. Michelle Norris |
Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin. |
July 2011 |
|
Mr. Shay Cody |
IMPACT |
September 2011 |
|
Mr. John Murphy |
Secretary General, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation |
November 2011 |
|
Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú |
Secretary General, Department of Education and Skills |
February 2012 |
|
Mr. John Moran |
Secretary General, Department of Finance |
March 2012 |
Details of appointment made to the National Statistics Board since 9 March 2011
|
Name |
Organisation |
Date of Appointment |
|
Mr. John Callinan |
Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach |
September 2012 |
There were three questions in the group. The first question was whether the Taoiseach can explain why he reiterated last year a rock-hard commitment that there would be a 40% gender balance rule applied. Clearly he has not abided by it. Can the Taoiseach explain the reasons he has not been in a position to abide by it and why the Government has not done so? The Taoiseach stated that the gender balance was 79% in the context of NESC. This is a poor target or realisation of the target given what he said so strongly not so long ago.
Second, how many of the appointments were advertised? We were told on the formation of the Government in the programme for Government that such positions would be publicly advertised. That is Government policy. Were the vacancies in the NESC publicly advertised and, if so, where were they advertised and by what means?
Last year with significant fanfare the Government stated it was radically changing the nature of boards in terms of how they would be appointed. Of course, the reality is very different. Media research suggests the bulk of new appointees are persons with direct connections with either the Fine Gael Party or the Labour Party. It is argued that for reasons of perception the persons concerned often submit an application, but that it is not a genuine attempt to widen the net to include others who are not connected with the Fine Gael Party or the Labour Party.
It was Fianna Fáil people who held the positions.
Prior to the general election we were promised there would be a broadening in the programme for Government. How many of the Taoiseach's appointees are persons who expressed an interest and have no connections with the political parties within the coalition?
As I stated in my reply, I made eight appointments last year. Four were men and four were women. I have made it clear that it is my intention in the limited number of appointments I have to make to increase the number of women appointees. The membership of the council now comprises 71% males and 29% females, but the appointments made last year, in June and July, were on a 50:50 basis.
On the vacancies being advertised on websites of Departments, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport published on its website an advertisement seeking expressions of interest in appointments as chairpersons of the boards of the CIE companies-----
Were the positions in the NESC advertised?
The persons on the list compiled were mostly academic and exceptionally well qualified. The positions were not advertised. The persons on the list compiled by the Department were included on the basis of their experience and expertise. That is not to say, however, that in the future advertisements will not be issued. If the Deputy reads the list of appointees, he will see they have a broad range of expertise. I have not met great numbers of them.
In respect of a range of appointments to be made, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advertised; the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources advertised for Bord na Móna, An Post and the Ordnance Survey; the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht advertised; the Department of Finance advertised; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine advertised; the Department of Children and Youth Affairs advertised; the Department of Health advertised; the Department of Social Protection advertised, etc. I like to think that over a period we can increase the percentage of women appointed to boards. I recall, way back in the 1990s, that the then Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Mervyn Taylor, used be very conscientious about requiring appointments to be based in so far as was possible on a ratio of 50:50. In whatever limited appointments can be made by my Department - mostly to the NESC - I will be anxious to ensure the level of female members is increased.
I actively encourage the Taoiseach on the issue of pursuing a gender balance. As he will be aware, the majority of citizens are women who are unrepresented in most public institutions.
I am disappointed - if I heard the Taoiseach properly - that not all of the vacancies were advertised. He may be aware that earlier this year the Institute of Directors in Ireland carried out a survey among executives in State bodies - it was pertinent to hear their views - who stated they did not think the appointments process was open. I recall the Taoiseach outlining persons being put forward for appointment as chairpersons of State boards would have to go before Oireachtas committees, but he also made it clear that such committees would not have the same authority as Senate committees in the United States, that proposed appointees would be interviewed by the committees but that they would have no say in whether they would be appointed. I think that was a fault in the Government's position.
I note that the former Chairman of the environment committee expressed his disappointment that the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht had been bypassed by the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, in appointing the chairman of a State board. I am sure the person appointed was good and worthy to be in the position. It was to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in June 2012 and the committee was only informed afterwards. The same applied to the appointment of the director general of the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2011. Is this totally at odds with what the Government set out to do? Is it satisfactory? Has the Taoiseach spoken to the Minister about it?
Women clearly are under-represented on a range of State boards and agencies. I am anxious to ensure their level of representation is increased.
On the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, it was an emergency. There were unique financial circumstances and the Minister had to respond within a very short time. The matter was debated extensively in the House. That was the reason; it was not his wish to bypass the committee. It was imperative that the matter be dealt with quickly.
May I ask a brief supplementary question?
I will come back to the Deputy.
That is hard to accept. The decision was not made in the middle of the night. The Government had clearly set out a different way of doing business. It had particularly talked about giving a new status in terms of authority and importance to the committees and because of public concern about the level of patronage in doling out these positions in the past made it clear that there would be transparency and a proper way of making appointments. This is not my complaint. The person who was Chairman of the environment committee is making it an issue that it should have been consulted. That is also my opinion.
Another issue identified in the IDI survey is the belief that insufficient consideration is given to the skills needed. I wonder if the procedure used in appointing the folks to these positions took skills into account. Is there a skills audit carried out across State boards? If not, could this be done in order that the Government would be able to see where the gaps are?
Paid positions need to be advertised, certainly on the website of the Public Appointments Service or the relevant Department. If that is not the case, will the Taoiseach make a commitment that such will be the case?
That is a relevant point, which I accept. The Public Appointments Service is in a position to state the skills sets needed for particular appointments. In the process in place which does not have that element formalised appointments are made on the basis of competency and the recognition of ability to do the job. It might be worth considering the Deputy's view that the Public Appointments Service should be able to point, for instance, to the skills sets needed and in the process that follows the persons to be appointed by Ministers and the Government should meet these criteria. That is a valid suggestion, which I accept.
By and large, Oireachtas committees operate effectively. The intention, in bringing chairpersons before them, was not to conduct an investigation but to ascertain what they had to offer to the agency or body concerned in terms of their experience, skills set and competencies.
We are never going to get it 100% right every time but these people bring skills, energy and commitment to the positions, which are very important.
I take on board the Deputy's views on the Public Appointments Service and his suggestion that the service make a list of what it believes is required for particular appointments and then see if the process can match that, in terms of numbers of men and women to be appointed.
I did not get a chance to ask a supplementary question earlier.
The Taoiseach has admitted here that the positions for NESC were not advertised. I am not casting any aspersions on any individuals because I am sure they are fine academics but there are plenty of fine academics across the country. This is an example of the kind of insider appointments that the Taoiseach was allegedly trying to get rid of. He was supposed to be broadening, widening and opening the net and it is extraordinary that this did not occur in the context of the NESC appointments.
The basic point is that what is now happening is far removed from what was promised by the Government in terms of appointments to State boards. It is a bit of a sham and a con-job, like many of the other commitments that were made. One of the key reforms of the last Government was introduced by former Deputy Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, who allowed Oireachtas committees to work on the appointment of people to State boards. That was real reform but we have seen nothing like that from this Government, in terms of openness, transparency or the involvement of the Oireachtas in selecting personnel for boards. That is the reality.
The Taoiseach must accept that part of Government policy was that board appointments would be advertised. I found it extraordinary, in that context, that the director of the HSE was selected by the Minister of Health. It is extraordinary that there was no public advertisement at all. The director was simply hand-picked by the Minister. There was no selection or advertising process, which is unhealthy. I am not casting any aspersions on the individual but that is a very unhealthy situation. It creates all sorts of unwelcome scenarios and compromises the independence of the individuals who get picked and selected in that way. It should not happen in the future, in any Department or for any position because it is not good enough.
Question No. 3 relates to the diaspora and it is my experience that there are many people overseas who are interested in Ireland and would be willing to give of their expertise to serve on State boards. I made some such appointments myself on a number of occasions. They worked out very well and it is an example that should be followed. I ask the Taoiseach to indicate whether he has had an opportunity to ensure a greater mix in the appointment of persons to State boards by including members of the diaspora.
As the Deputy is aware, membership of NESC is made up from different pillars. Regarding my own Department, the Secretary General and another departmental official sit on the board, one of whom was appointed in August 2011 and another in January 2012. The trade union pillar nominees include the General Secretary of the ICTU, another individual from ICTU, an individual from IMPACT and one from SIPTU. In respect of the business and employer pillar, there are two nominees from IBEC, one from CIF and one from Chambers Ireland. The agriculture and farming organisation pillar nominees include one person each from ICOS, IFA, Macra na Feirme and the ICMSA. The community and voluntary pillar nominees include a person from Social Justice Ireland - formerly CORI - from the INOU, the Saint Vincent de Paul and the NYCI. The environmental pillar nominees include an individual from Friends of the Earth and three others from that sector. The Government Department nominees include the Secretaries General of the Department of Finance, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and the Department of Education and Skills. The independent nominees, some of whom I nominated myself, are from the ESRI, National University of Ireland, Galway, Queen's University, Belfast, Trinity College, Dublin, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Credit Suisse, London, University College Dublin and from the chartered accountancy sector, all of whom are academics and have something valuable to offer.