I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO). With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001. Apart from the Ombudsman for Children's Office which does not have a board, I am responsible for all board of management appointments. I can confirm that no new agencies under my remit have been created or disbanded since the formation of the Government.
As the Deputy may be aware, work is well underway on the establishment of the new Child and Family Agency (CFA). The CFA Bill has been published and this important piece of legislation provides for the subsuming of functions from three separate agencies; namely the HSE, and also the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board which both currently come under the remit of my Department.
It is my intention that the CFA will assume statutory responsibility for services for children and families in early 2014. Once legislation has been enacted, the agency will formally come under the remit of my Department. Pending the legal establishment of the CFA, the newly appointed board of the FSA will, in addition to its existing functions, provide oversight and direction to the organisational preparations which are underway for the CFA.
The CFA will involve bringing together 4,000 staff and a budget of over €500 million from three existing bodies. As the Deputy may appreciate, it is not possible to say at this stage what the establishment costs for the new agency will be.
There are currently 39 members (chairperson and ordinary board members) sitting on the boards of management. I have set out in tabular format details of the current membership of the boards of management under the aegis of my Department and their respective annual remuneration.
National Educational Welfare Board
|
Board Member
|
Annual remuneration
|
|
Nuala Doherty (Chair)
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Sally Maguire
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Catherine Connery
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Marian Jennings
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Eamonn Flynn
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Bob Dowling
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Ruairí Gogan
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Anne McDonnell
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Marie-Claire McAleer
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Don Myers
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Pat McSitric (interim CEO)
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Mary Donnelly
|
Does not receive fee
|
Children Detention Schools
|
Board Member
|
Annual remuneration
|
|
Joe Horan (Chair)
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Gerard McKiernan
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Ursula Kilkelly
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Diego Gallagher
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Sylda Langford
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Pat Rooney
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Elizabeth Howard
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Colin Fetherston
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Barry Rooney
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Deirdre Keyes
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Dan Kelleher
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Niall Kelly
|
Does not receive fee
|
|
Rachel Grimes
|
Does not receive fee
|
Family Support Agency
|
Board Member
|
Annual remuneration
|
|
Norah Gibbons (Chair)
|
€8,978
|
|
Sylda Langford
|
€5,985
|
|
PJ Fitzpatrick
|
€5,985
|
|
Noelle Spring
|
€5,985
|
|
Rory O’Farrell
|
€5,985
|
|
Gary Joyce
|
€5,985
|
|
Ita Managan
|
€5,985
|
|
Noel Kelly
|
€5,985
|
Adoption Authority of Ireland
|
Board Member
|
Annual Remuneration
|
|
Dr. Geoffrey Shannon (Chair)
|
€63,120
|
|
Siobhan Keogh
|
€7,965
|
|
Anne McWilliams
|
€7,965
|
|
Corina Carrick
|
€7,965
|
|
Helen Collins
|
€7,965
|
|
Dr. Imelda Ryan
|
Does not receive fee
|
