Gerry Adams
Question:702. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the new procedures the Government have introduced for appointments to State boards. [3580/13]
View answerTuesday, 22 January 2013
Questions (702)
Written answers
The new procedures advertised by my Department on Friday, 8 April 2011 involved an open invitation to members of the public to submit expressions of interest in serving on the board of any of the agencies operating under my aegis. I stated clearly at the time that, given the importance of ensuring the right mix of skills and experience on every board, appointments would not necessarily be confined to those who had made such an expression of interest. All appointments from that date have followed these procedures. Full details of the appointments that I have made are available on my Department's website, as are the fee levels approved by Government for each board.
In summary, I have made a total of 91 appointments and 36 re-appointments since March 2011. Of the 91, 39 (42%) were from persons who had availed of the opportunity to submit an expression of interest. Also under the new procedures, all new chairpersons nominated by me have, except where there were exceptional circumstances, appeared before the joint oireachtas committee prior to appointment.