Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 February 2016
292. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of appointments to State boards, by name of appointee, date of appointment and appointment through a public application process or otherwise, from 7 March 2011 to date; the number of vacancies on State boards under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4612/16]
View answerI am responsible for the appointment of members to the boards of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Gaisce and the Board of Management for the Children Detention Schools. From the establishment of my Department in June 2011 until 31 December 2013 the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs was responsible for appointments to the Boards of the Family Support Agency (FSA) and the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). With the establishment of Tusla on 1 January 2014, the FSA and the NEWB ceased to exist and their roles were subsumed into the Agency.
In line with Government Decisions in 2011 relating to appointments to State Boards and bodies, the vacancies on the boards of State Bodies and Agencies operating under my Department's aegis were published on my Department's website and expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to these boards were invited. My officials acknowledged all expressions of interest received and maintained a database of those expressions.
In May 2013 the Public Appointments Service (PAS), on behalf of my Department, sought expressions of interest from those interested in being appointed to the Board of the FSA, having regard to both its existing statutory functions and its planned role in facilitating the establishment of Tusla. The members of the FSA Board, in place at end 2013, were subsequently appointed to the Board of Tusla on its establishment on 1 January 2014.
New arrangements concerning appointments to State Boards were approved by Government in November 2014. Guidelines covering the process to be used were published on 25 November 2014 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Under these new arrangements, PAS manages the process of advertising vacancies and the selection of suitable potential appointees to State Boards.
There is currently one vacancy on the Tusla Board and this position was advertised by PAS. There are also two vacancies on the Board of Management of the Children Detention Schools. The Children (Amendment) Act 2015 creates a legal framework to amalgamate the 3 existing Schools in Oberstown into a single detention school with a new board of management to be appointed by me. I am also arranging for four vacant positions on Gaisce, the President's Award scheme, to be advertised through the State Boards process. Seven members were appointed to the Board of the Adoption Authority of Ireland with effect from 1 November 2015, following the advertisement and selection process by PAS.
My decisions on appointments to boards are subject to the relevant governing legislation, and take into account the particular responsibilities of the body or agency in question. At all times I seek to ensure that the body or agency is best served by an appropriate mix of skills and experience.
The tables below set out the appointments to the respective boards since 2011.
Adoption Authority of Ireland
The credentials of the persons appointed were in accordance with Section 98 of the Adoption Act 2010.
|
Board Member |
Term |
Credentials |
|
Dr. Imelda Ryan |
02/02/12 - 02/02/17 (Board term ended 31/10/15) Appointed to new Board 01/11/15- 31/10/20 |
Doctor |
|
Anne O’Flaherty |
11/03/13 - 11/09/18 (Board term ended 31/10/15) Appointed to new Board 01/11/15- 31/10/20 |
Appropriate training in Psychology |
|
Dr. Geoffrey Shannon |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 Chairperson |
Solicitor |
|
Orlaith Traynor |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 Deputy Chairperson |
Solicitor |
|
Paul Harrison |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Social Worker with Adoption Experience |
|
Dr. Helen Buckley |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Social Worker with Research Experience |
|
Patrick McMahon |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Retired District Court Judge |
Family Support Agency and Tusla (the Child and Family Agency)
|
Board Member |
Term |
Credentials |
|
Sharon Foley (Chair) |
30/01/12 - 26/03/13 (Ordinary Board member) & 26/03/12 - 31/05/13 (FSA Chair) |
CEO Irish Hospice Foundation |
|
Caroline Murphy |
20/10/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Organisational Psychologist and Broadcaster |
|
Dick Hickey |
02/06/11 - 01/12/11 02/12/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Executive Director, St. Brigid’s Family resource Centre |
|
Dr. John Griffin |
30/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Consultant Psychiatrist |
|
Marie Fenlon |
01/09/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Nominee of the Family Resource Centre National Forum |
|
Liz Chaloner |
30/01/12 - 31/05/13 |
Independent Researcher, Facilitator, Consultant |
|
Nuala Ryan |
30/01/12 - 31/05/13 |
President UCD Women Graduates Association |
|
Catherine Downey Murphy |
11/07/12 - 31/05/13 |
Management positions in Health Service, Southern Health Board |
|
Catherine Hazlett (Resigned on 16/05/12 due to restructuring of Department) |
26/07/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 16/05/12 |
Civil Servant – Department of Children and Youth Affairs Rep |
|
Yvette O’Malley (Resigned on 10/11/11) |
01/09/11 - 10/11/11 |
Family Support Agency Staff Rep, Mediator |
|
Marie Dullea |
11/07/12 - 31/05/13 |
Civil Servant - Department of Children and Youth Affairs Rep |
|
Imelda Martin |
28/11/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Family Support Agency Staff Rep |
|
Lorraine Mulligan |
12/12/12 - 31/03/13 |
Experienced Researcher, financial analysis, advocacy |
|
Dr. Nollaig Byrne |
08/02/12 - 31/05/13 |
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist |
|
Norah Gibbons (Chair) |
01/06/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former member of Task Force on the establishment of Child and Family Agency |
|
Sylda Langford |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Retired – former Director General of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
|
PJ Fitzpatrick |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former Independent Chair of the Implementation Body for the Public Service Pay and Modernisation (Croke Park) Agreement 2010-2013. Now partner with Praesta Ltd. |
|
Noelle Spring |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Development Director with Katharine Howard Foundation |
|
Rory O’Ferrall |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former President of National Youth Council. Currently member of Governing Authority of Dublin City University |
|
Gary Joyce Deputy Chairperson |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Managing partner of Genesis Irish management consultancy |
|
Ita Mangan |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14. Resigned 29/05/2015 |
Chair of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare |
|
Noel Kelly |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former teacher and Home School Liaison Officer. Currently CEO of Preparing for Life in Darndale Belcamp |
|
Gary Ó Donnchadha |
02/12/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Civil Servant - Deputy Chief Inspector in Department of Education and Skills |
National Educational Welfare Board
The table below includes details of the nominating person or body for each appointee in accordance with the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
|
Board Member |
Appointed |
Nominated by / under |
Professional title / Credentials |
|
Nuala Doherty (Chair) |
30/07/12 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Chief Executive Centre for Effective Services |
|
Brendan Broderick (Resigned 31/12/12) |
15/09/11 |
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
President Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
|
Catherine Connery |
28/05/12 |
Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government |
Member and former chair Kilkenny County Council |
|
Marian Jennings |
28/05/12 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Solicitor / Law lecturer |
|
Eamonn Flynn |
15/09/11 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Educational Welfare Officer |
|
Bob Dowling |
02/03/12 |
Minister for Health |
Teacher |
|
Ruairí Gogan |
02/03/12 |
Minister for Justice and Equality |
Principal Officer |
|
Deirdre Matthews |
14/01/13 |
Minister for Education and Skills |
Assistant Chief Inspector, Department of Education and Skills |
|
Mary Donnelly |
23/04/12 - 22/04/15 |
Minister for Social Protection |
Principal Officer |
|
Sally Maguire |
03/11/13 - 03/03/14 |
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
President Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
Children Detention Schools (Board of Management)
The table below includes the nominating person/body in accordance with Section 167 of the Children Act 2001.
|
Board Member |
Term |
Nominated by |
Credentials |
|
Joe Horan |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 Resigned 24/04/15 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Former County Manager of the South Dublin County Council - Retired |
|
Professor Ursula Kilkelly |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 Acting Chairperson |
Head of the College of Business and Law in University College Cork, and Director of the Child Law Clinic |
|
Diego Gallagher |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Partner in Health and Regulatory Law Department at Byrne Wallace Solicitors |
|
Sylda Langford |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Former Director General of Office of Minister for Children and Youth Affairs – Retired |
|
Colin Fetherston |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Staff representative 2012 |
Elected as staff representative via local elections |
|
Pat Rooney |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Community representative - Was also on previous board |
Nominated by local Community Council |
|
Elizabeth Howard |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Community representative - Was also on previous board |
Nominated by local Community Council |
|
Barry Rooney |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Staff representative 2012 |
Elected as staff representative via local elections |
|
Dan Kelleher |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee - Officer of the Minister 2011 |
Principal Officer of Irish Youth Justice Service / Children Detention Schools |
|
Deirdre Keyes |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister for Education nominee 2012 |
Education Officer in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board |
|
Gerard McKiernan |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister for Health nominee 2012 - Was also on previous board |
Director of Change and Special Projects in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency |
|
Rachel Grimes |
14/11/12 - 25/03/16 [Resigned 06/10/14] |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Home-maker |
|
Niall Kelly |
06/09/13 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2013 |
Former school teacher - Retired |
Gaisce
All appointments made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in line with Gaisce's Memorandum and Articles of Association.
|
Name |
Appointed |
|
Majella Killeen |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Ruairí McKiernan |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Allyson Lambert |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Siobhan Corry |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Brian Collinge |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Michael Broderick |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Cian Timmons (RIP) |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
John Concannon |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed (Chair) 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Donal Óg Cusack |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Martin O’Rourke |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Caroline McCamley |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Norma Smurfit |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Andrew Madden |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Aongus Sammin |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Sharon Finnegan |
01/07/15 - 30/06/18 - Taoiseach nominee |
|
Carmel Nic Airt |
09/11/15 - 08/11/18 President nominee |
|
Justin McAleese |
09/11/15 - 08/11/18 President nominee |
