In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1424 of 2011, relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights. Appointments may not necessarily be from the applications received through the advertising process, which is also in line with the Government Decision. The first advertising campaign was launched by my Department in January 2012, and there have been 30 advertising campaigns to date.
There were some exceptions to the advertising process in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, the members of the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal were appointed by me, on the advice of the Attorney General, as these members carry out a very specific role in relation to assessing the quantum of awards under the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act. Another exception was in the case of some boards, particularly hospital boards, where the term of existing members was extended as a prudent provisional measure, to allow time for appropriate competencies required in members of these boards to be set out, given the Health Reform Programme and its impact on hospital configuration.
A protocol was devised in my Department in 2012 and agreed with the Public Appointments Service (PAS), and this is applied in relation to the process for appointments to bodies under the aegis of my Department. Notice of vacancies on boards is provided 6 months in advance of that vacancy to allow my officials consult with PAS in a timely fashion on the advertising process. It involves devising a competency assessment of candidates who express an interest in becoming a member of a board. During 2013, because of difficulties in concluding the appointments to boards that had been advertised through the PAS process, expressions of interest for membership of the Medical Council were not advertised on the PAS website, but were advertised on my Department's website.
With regard to board fees, there are four categories payable to chairpersons and directors of Non-Commercial State Agencies. The “one person one salary” principle provides that public servants acting as chairpersons or directors of state-sponsored bodies do not receive additional remuneration for undertaking such duties. Members of Boards are entitled to claim travel and subsistence as governed by the Travel and Subsistence Circulars issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Instead of the fees mentioned above, members of the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal are paid a briefing fee of €10,000 when they take up their appointment and a daily rate of €845.00.
The approved annual rates in respect of those Boards to which I have made appointments and where board fees are payable are:
Category - Chair - Director
1 - €29,888 - €14,963
2 - €20,520 - €11,970
3 - €11,970 - €7,695
4 - €8,978 - €5,985
The boards for which fees are currently paid to members are as follows:
Category 1 Boards
N/A
Category 2 Boards
HIQA, VHI
Category 3 Boards
Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board, Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, National Treatment Purchase Fund, Health Research Board, Medical Council, Mental Health Commission, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.
Category 4 Boards
Health & Social Care Professionals Council (Chair only), Health Insurance Authority.
It should also be noted that existing board members, and members appointed in the future are given the option to waive the related board fee on a discretionary basis.
Information will be provided as quickly as possible to the Deputy on the actual number of appointments from March 2011 to December 2013, where I as Minister have nominating rights, number of positions publicly advertised and the number of posts not advertised, but directly appointed by me or my predecessor.
