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Appointments to State Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2013

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Questions (178)

Niall Collins

Question:

178. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of appointments made to State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011; the number of positions that have been advertised; the number of applications to the boards; the number of appointments to the boards that were drawn from the applications; the current number of vacancies on each board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28979/13]

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Written answers

Since coming to Office I have made 71 appointments to the State Boards under my aegis. It should be noted that of these, only 24 of these were new appointments made at my discretion. 9 were reappointments, and the remaining 38 were allocated under legislation to Department Representatives, social partners, nominees of other Ministers, nominees of prescribed bodies and appointments on an Ex Officio basis and were not appropriate, therefore, for public advertisement.

Of the 24 new appointments made at my discretion, I have made 15 appointments to State Boards arising directly from applications from the public.

A breakdown by type and details of all appointments made by me to the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department since taking office, are listed in the tables.

The position in relation to current vacancies in respect of each Agency is also presented.

Breakdown of the State Board appointments made since March 2011

Breakdown of the State Board appointments made since March 2011

Number

Reappointments

9

Department Representatives

7

Social Partners

7

Nominated by other bodies in accordance with Legislation

13

Discretion of Minister – From among individuals who made application

15

Discretion of Minister- Other

9

Ex Officio

9

Staff Representatives

2

Details of the State Board appointments made since March 2011

Labour Relations Commission

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Breege O'Donoghue, Chairperson

Ministerial- Nominated by the Government

01/04/2003

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

Brendan McGinty

Ministerial -Nominated by IBEC

06/11/2000

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

Fergus Whelan

Ministerial – Nominated by ICTU

05/07/2009

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

Gerard Barry

Ministerial

01/04/2006

Yes7/7/2012

06/07/2013

Iarla Duffy

Ministerial

05/07/2009

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

John Hennessy

Ministerial -Nominated by IBEC

05/07/2009

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

Peter McCloone

Ministerial – Nominated by ICTU

29/03/2000

Yes 7/7/2012

06/07/2013

There are currently no vacancies on the Board of the Labour Relations Commission

Forfás*

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Professor Mark Ferguson

Ex Officio (DG of SFI)

18/01/2012

No

06/01/2017

John Murphy

Ministerial -Dept Rep (Sec Gen)

18/01/2012

No

*The membership of the Forfas Board was reduced to an executive style board, with effect from 5th October 2012, to facilitate the integration of Forfas with the Department. The remaining Board members will continue in situ to oversee the integration process.

Enterprise Ireland

Membership

Method of Appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Amanda Pratt

Ministerial

10/10/2012

No

*see note

Clare Dunne

Ministerial -Dept Rep (Asst Sec)

10/10/2012

No

*see note

Colum Horgan

Ministerial

15/10/2012

No

*see note

Geoff Meagher

Ministerial

15/10/2012

No

*see note

Since March 2011, three positions were advertised for which 45 applications were received. One appointment from the applications was subsequently made. There is currently one vacancy.

*In accordance with Section 9 of the Industrial Development Act, (Enterprise Ireland) 1998, on each anniversary of the establishment day (23rd July, 1998), two members of the Board (other than the chairperson and the chief executive officer) shall retire from office. The members to retire in any year shall be those who have been longest in office since their appointment.

InterTradeIreland

Membership

Method of Appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Thomas Hunter McGowan (CEO)

Nominated by Ministers North and South and approved by NSMC

23/07/2012

No

22/07/2017

Martin Cronin (Chair)

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

13/12/2011

No

12/12/2015

Brendan Butler

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

12/12/2007

Yes 13/12/2011

12/12/2015

Patricia McKeown

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

12/12/2007

Yes 13/12/2011

12/12/2015

Kevin Norton

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

13/12/2011

No

12/12/2015

Mairead Sorensen

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

13/12/2011

No

12/12/2015

John Corbett

Nominated by Minister and approved by NSMC

13/12/2011

No

12/12/2015

InterTrade Ireland currently has one vacancy on the ITI Board for which I will make a nomination to the North-South Ministerial Council in due course.

Personal Injuries Assessment Board

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of first appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Mr Brendan Walsh 

Chairperson

Ministerial Appointment

03/01/13

No

02/01/17

Deirdre Behan

Ministerial - Nominated by the Revenue Commissioners in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/12

No

02/01/15

Marie Daly

Ministerial - Nominated by IBEC in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/06

Yes 3/1/2012

02/01/15

Mairead Devine

Ministerial - Nominated by the Central Bank in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/12

No

02/01/15

Sean Hawkshaw

Ministerial - Nominated by the Irish Association of Investment Managers in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/06

Yes 03/01/2012

02/01/15

David Martin

Ministerial - Nominated by the Prescribed Accountancy Bodies in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/06

Yes 03/01/2012

29/05/14

Sylvia McNeece

Ministerial - Nominated by the Pensions Board in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/12

No

02/01/15

Kevin O'Donovan

Ministerial - Nominated by the Prescribed Accountancy Bodies in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

30/05/11

No

29/05/14

Conor O'Mahony

Ministerial - Nominated by the Director of Corporate Enforcement in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

01/03/12

No

20/01/14

Ms Bernadette McGrory-Farrell

Ministerial - Nominated by the Prescribed Accountancy Bodies in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/13

No

02/01/2016

Mr Paddy Keating

Ministerial - Nominated by ICTU in accordance with the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003

03/01/13

No

02/01/2016

Ms Helen Hall

Ex-Officio

Member

18/12/12

No

N/A

Ms Muireann O’Neill

Ministerial Appointment

01/09/12

No

02/09/2015

A vacancy in respect of a Ministerial Appointment arose on the board in early 2012. An advertisement was posted on the Public Appointments Service website for filling of the vacant post. In response to the advertisement, a total of six expressions of interest were received. The applications were assessed by staff from the Department and the Public Appointment Service and the shortlisting for Ministerial appointment were agreed. Arising from this shortlist, Ms Muireann O’Neill was the Ministerial nominee.

There are currently no vacancies on the board of IAASA.

Shannon Development

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Stephen Curran

Ministerial- Dept Rep (Principal Officer)

23/02/2012

No

April 2016

Rose Hynes

Ministerial

12/02/13

No

April 2018

Pat Dalton

Ministerial

22/02/13

No

April 2018

Tony Brazil

Ministerial

13/05/13

No

April 2018

Following the Government decision to merge Shannon Development with Shannon Airport it was agreed that there would be commonality in filling the vacancies of both boards until such time as the new entity is in place. It was intended that such appointments would maximise synergies between the two entities until such time as the merger is confirmed. Hence these appointments were made on the basis of the expertise and knowledge of the nominees. There is currently one vacancy on the Shannon Development Board.

National Consumer Agency

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Stephen

Costello

Ministerial

01/05/2007

01/05/2012

30/04/2017

Sean Murphy

Appointed by the Board (CEO of NCA)

18/10/2012

No

On appointment of CEO

Isolde Goggin

Ministerial – Competition Authority Rep (Chair of Competition Authority)

30/11/2011

No

*see note

Robin O'Sullivan

Ministerial

01/05/2007

06/05/2012

*see note

Colleen Savage

Ministerial

06/05/2012

No

*see note

Eugene Gallagher

Ministerial

06/05/2012

No

*see note

Tina Leonard

Ministerial

31/01/2013

No

*see note

Karen O’Leary

Appointed by the Board (CEO of NCA)

19/03/2013

No

On appointment of CEO

Expressions of interest were sought in 2011 and 2012 in respect of vacancies that arose. In 2011, 113 applications were received and no appointments were made. In 2012, 38 applications were received and three persons were appointed. There are currently two vacancies on the Board.

IDA Ireland

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Dermot Curran

Ministerial- Dept Rep (Asst Sec)

09/07/2012

No

See Note

Alan W. Gray

Ministerial

25/01/2012

No

See Note

Mary Campbell

Ministerial

25/01/2012

No

See Note

Peter Cassels

Ministerial

25/05/2012

No

See Note

Lionel Alexander

Ministerial

4/02/2013

Yes

See Note

Since March 2011, one vacancy on the board has been advertised following which 78 applications were received. No appointment from the applications received was subsequently made. The IDA Board currently has one vacancy.

Science Foundation Ireland

Membership

Method of appointment

Date of appointment

Re-appointment

Expiry of contract

Professor Mark Ferguson

Ex Officio (DG of SFI)

16/01/2012

No

*see note

Dermot Curran

Ministerial- Dept Rep (Asst Sec)

01/09/2012

No

*see note

Mary Doyle

Ministerial – Nominated by Minister for Education

05/12/2012

No

*see note

Dr. Rita Colwell

Ministerial

31/03/2008

Yes 26 July 2011

*see note

Prof. Martina Newell-McGloughlin

Ministerial

25/07/2003

Yes 26 July 2011

July 2013

Liam Madden

Ministerial

01/02/2013

No

see note

*Section 9.3 of the 2003 Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act 2003 determines that each year (on anniversary of formal establishment of SFI – 25th July 2003) that the two longest serving members of the Board shall retire from the Board with effect from July 24th each year. However, there is also a stipulation in the legislation that a member cannot serve more than ten years in succession.

In 2012, one vacancy was filled after a Public Appointments Service advertisement following which 19 applications were received. At present there are no vacancies on the SFI Board athough three vacancies will arise in late July 2013. These are currently on the Public Appointments Service website.

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