Appointments to State Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 November 2013

Thursday, 21 November 2013

Questions (53)

Niall Collins

Question:

53. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the number of appointments to State boards under his Department's remit made since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies State boards under his Department's remit publically advertised since March 2011 to date in 2013; and the number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [50013/13]

Written answers

Minister for Finance

The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tables :

The Financial Services Ombudsman Council

Name of appointee/Date of appointment or reappointment	Details
Mr Dermott Jewell (Chairman) Members Mr Paddy Leydon Frank Wynn Ms Caitriona Ní Charra Mr Tony Kerr Mr Michael Connolly Ms Elizabeth Walsh All were appointed or re-appointed on 29 October 2013.	The Financial Services Ombudsman Council term of office expired on 28 October 2013. The serving 6 Council members were re-appointed and an additional member was appointed to the Council. All Council members will serve a term of two years (up to 28 October 2015) or until the merger of the Financial Services Ombudsman with the Pensions Ombudsman has been completed, whichever is the sooner.

Board of National Asset Management Agency

Name of appointee/Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Mr. John Mulcahy 07 Mar 2012 Mr Oliver Ellingham 10 April 2013

The Board consists of 9 members. In the period since March 2011 to date in 2013 there have been three vacancies. Currently there is one vacancy on the board. Expressions of interest were sought in respect of this vacancy on the Department of Finance website. No appointments made have been drawn directly from the public appointment process. Mr Mulcahy is head of Asset Management within the National Asset Management Agency.

National Treasury Management Agency Advisory Committee

Name of appointee/Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Mr John Moran (Secretary General of the Department of Finance) 06 Mar 2012 Mr Willie Walsh (Chairman) 11 Nov 2013

The Committee shall consist of not less than five nor more than seven members. There are currently five members. Expressions of interest were sought in respect of vacancies on the Department of Finance website. Two vacancies were filled during the period. It has been the norm to appoint the Secretary General of the Department of Finance to the Advisory Committee since the establishment of the National Treasury Management Agency. Mr Walsh’s appointment was not drawn from the public appointment process.

National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment	Details
Mr Maurice Keane Appointed 05 Feb 2012	The Commission consists of seven members. There is one vacancy for an Ordinary Member of the Commission. one vacancy was filled during the period in question. The post was not advertised as it involved the re-appointment of Mr Maurice Keane to the Commission.

State Claims Agency Policy Advisory Committee

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Dr. Noel Whelan Jul 2012 Mr. Fachtna Murphy Jul 2012 Ms. Wendy Thompson Jul 2012 Mr. Charlie Hardy Jul 2012 – 18 Nov 2013

The State Claims Agency Policy Committee consists of seven members. There is currently one vacancy for an ordinary member. Four vacancies were filled during the period. The vacancies were advertised on the websites of the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. Dr. Whelan was reappointed as Chairperson. Mr Murphy and Ms Thompson were appointed from the public appointment process. Mr Hardy was a Departmental nominee (A Department of Health representative has , by convention, been appointed to the SCA policy advisory committee)

National Development Finance Agency

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Mr Brian Murphy CEO NDFA Mr Robert Watt (Secretary General of Public Expenditure and Reform) July 2012 Mr Gerry Murphy July 2012 Petrina Smyth July 2012

The Board consists of the Chairperson and seven Ordinary Members. There are Currently 5 members of the board including the Chairman. There are currently three vacancies on the Board. Vacancies were advertised on the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Websites Mr Brian Murphy was Re-appointed to the Board Mr Watt as Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was a direct appointment. Both Gerry Murphy and Petrina Smyth were appointed from the public appointment process.

Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo)

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Mr. Bobby McVeigh Appointed Chair of Board on 31 Aug 2012 Members of the Board appointed 31 Aug 2012: Mr. Eoin McGettigan Mr. Tom Kavanagh Mr. Brendan Burke Ms Kathleen Prendergast Mr. Stephen O’Donovan Mr. Joe O’Toole Mr. Pat Fay Mr. Jimmy Johnstone Mr. Tim Molan Mr. Kevin Johnson Mr. Neil Ryan (Dept of Finance) Ms Elaine Byrne (Central Bank of Ireland)

No vacancies have arisen since the Board was first appointed in August 2012. The Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo) comprises thirteen members in total, including six independent members. To identify suitable independent members the Department of Finance publicly advertised for expressions of interest on the Department of Finance and the Public Appointments Service websites. Nominations were also invited from credit union representative bodies, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Department of Finance. Of the 13 appointments, 6 appointments were made from those who submitted a curriculum vitae; 6 appointments were made from nominations made by the credit union representative bodies, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Department of Finance; one appointment was made for continuity purposes from a member of the Commission on Credit Unions.

Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Appointments on 27 February 2012 Mr. Justice Murphy was reappointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal. Ms. Inge Clissman, the Deputy reappointed Chairperson Ms. Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn, Ms. Geraldine Clarke, Mr. John Fish, Mr. Liam Madden and Mr. John Loughrey were reappointed as lay members. Appointments on 5 November 2013 Mr. Justice Murphy was reappointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal Ms. Inge Clissman, the Deputy Chairperson, was reappointed to the Tribunal. Ms. Geraldine Clarke was reappointed as lay member to the Tribunal. Mr. Conor Power, Mr. Paul Brennan, Ms. Helen Collins and Ms. Teresa Pilkington were newly appointed as lay members to the Tribunal.

No vacancies have arisen other than in respect of Tribunal members coming to the end of their term of appointment as set out in legislation.In respect of vacancies that arose in February 2013, the Department of Finance publicly advertised for expressions of interest on the Department of Finance and the Public Appointments Service websites. Of the seven (re)appointments made on 5 November 2013, three were drawn from the public advertising process. Mr. Justice Murphy was reappointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal for a period of one year under Section 57F of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Ms. Inge Clissman, the Deputy Chairperson, was reappointed to the Tribunal for a period of one year under Section 57F of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Ms. Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn, Ms. Geraldine Clarke, Mr. John Fish, Mr. Liam Madden and Mr. John Loughrey were reappointed as lay members to the Tribunal for a period of one year under Section 57F of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Mr. Justice Murphy was reappointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal for a period of five years under Section 57D of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Ms. Inge Clissman, the Deputy Chairperson, was reappointed to the Tribunal for a period of five years under Section 57D of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Ms. Geraldine Clarke was reappointed as lay member to the Tribunal for a period of five years under Section 57D of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. Mr. Conor Power, Mr. Paul Brennan, Ms. Helen Collins and Ms. Teresa Pilkington were newly appointed as lay members to the Tribunal. for a period of five years under Section 57D of the Central Bank Act 1942 as amended by the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003.

Fiscal Advisory Council

Name of appointee/ Date of appointment or reappointment

Details

Professor John McHale (Chair) Mr. Sebastian Barnes Professor Alan Barrett Dr. Donal Donovan, Dr Roisin O’Sullivan All appointed with effect from 7th July 2011 No additional appointments have been made since 07th July 2011

The Chairman and the Council members did not undergo interview by Oireachtas Committee. However, the Fiscal Council have appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on a number of occasions to discuss their fiscal assessment reports. The Fiscal Responsibility Act provides, in Schedule 11, for the right of a Dáil Éireann Committee to request the Chairman to come before Dáil Éireann. The Department did not seek expression of interest. The composition of a body such as a Fiscal Council is critical to its independence and credibility. In following the Common Principles recommendations, we sought candidates who hold valuable experience and demonstrate competence in their fields of expertise. A significant number of potential candidates were considered against a range of criteria. The criteria included the desire of having a mix of appropriate backgrounds, namely academia, the financial sector/financial markets and public finance; expertise in macroeconomic/microeconomic and a strong international dimension, in addition to the need to take gender considerations into account. As would be normal practice, the process by which potential nominees were identified, considered and selected involved officials from my Department. The final decisions regarding the appointments were made by me following consultations with Cabinet colleagues and others.