Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 November 2014
82. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a list of applicants for positions on boards of State bodies in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42466/14]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that, currently, I have a list of sixty-two applicants that have expressed an interest in vacancies on State Boards under my remit which have been reviewed in past appointments to ensure that the most qualified/suitable persons were considered.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced a revised model for Ministerial appointments. In future, all appointments to State Boards must be advertised openly on the State Boards portal at www.stateboards.ie, which is operated by the Public Appointments Service. These applicants will be advised of this new procedure.
The new model will mean that all appointments must meet the specific and detailed criteria determined by the relevant Minister as necessary for a member of the particular Board.
All appointments will be subject to the new arrangements, other than those where vacancies must be filled through a particular process or where a Minister is reappointing a Board member and where that member has already demonstrated their capacity to perform effectively. A transparent assessment system will be designed and implemented on an independent basis by the Public Appointments Service to process the applications.
The new arrangements also provide that the stateboards.ie website, as well as being the sole portal for the receipt of applications for all State Boards, will also contain definitive and current information on all statutory boards. This information will be published on the stateboards.ie website in the near future.
Appointments will continue to be the exclusive responsibility of the relevant Minister in line with the statutory requirements relating to the appointment of specific persons to State Boards on an ex-officio basis, or on the basis of nominations received from other Ministers or particular stakeholders.
The revised approach strengthens requirements on Ministers to develop comprehensive criteria for the filling of vacancies on State Boards in consultation with key stakeholders as determined by the relevant Minister, such as the current Chair of the State Board concerned and the Public Appointments Service.
I will be expected to provide the Public Appointments Service with the key requirements that a candidate must meet, including:
- Specialist skills and technical knowledge;
- Relevant experience and sectoral expertise;
- Educational and other qualifications; and
- Particular personal attributes.
On foot on the Government Decision, my officials are currently preparing overarching guidelines on appointments for approval by Government, including issues related to gender and diversity. As part of this process all Departments have been contacted seeking comprehensive details on all State Boards under their aegis.
A review of these new arrangements will be carried out and completed within eighteen months.
