Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2016
132. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of positions on the boards of bodies and agencies under the aegis of his Department; the number of vacant positions; when each vacancy occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20691/16]
View answerI make appointments to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and the National Statistics Board (NSB) of which there are 34 and 8 members respectively. Appointments are made in accordance with the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006, SI 603 of 2010 - National Economic and Social Council (Alteration of Composition) Order 2010; and Section 18 of the Statistics Act 1993.
In the case of the NESC, I appoint 20 members specifically on the basis of nominations from organisations or interests set out in the Act, up to 6 public servants, and up to 8 independent members. The independent members are mainly from the academic sector.
The Statistics Act 1993 provides for a National Statistics Board of 8 people, i.e. the Director General of the Central Statistics Office, ex-officio, and 7 other members of whom 2 must be Assistant Secretaries from the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance. Of the remaining five, I nominate two persons and three are nominated by organisations considered representative of the users of official statistics and providers of information under the Act.
There are currently no vacancies on the NSB. The five year term of the NESC has now expired and consideration as to the next steps and future composition is ongoing.
