Departmental Bodies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2016

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Questions (510)

Dara Calleary

Question:

510. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health 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. [20686/16]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014 and Guidelines set out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform 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 under relevant legislation. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies, again in accordance with the relevant legislation.

The following tables set out the information requested by the Deputy.

Board	Number of positions on the board as per legislation	Number of vacant positions	Date vacancy occurred
Beaumont Hospital Board	15	4	Decision made in 2013 that number of positions would reduce to 11.
Consultative Council on Hepatitis C	8	2	Positive Action no longer members of the Council.
Dental Council	19	Nil	N/A
Dietitians Registration Board	13	4	Feb/March ‘16
Dublin Dental Hospital Board	14	3	One in May '15, One in April '16 and One in July '16.
Food Safety Authority of Ireland	10	Nil	N/A
Heath and Social Care Professionals Council	29	8	March ‘16
Health Information and Quality Authority	12	Nil	N/A
Health Insurance Authority	5	Nil	N/A
Health Products Regulatory Authority	9	Nil	N/A
Health Research Board	10	Nil	N/A
Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal	15	7	Agreement that 8 members are adequate to assess cases.
Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board	12	Nil	N/A
Leopardstown Park Hospital Board	7	Nil	N/A
Medical Council	25	Nil	N/A
Mental Health Commission	13	Nil	N/A
National Cancer Registry	7	Nil	N/A
National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes	10	Nil	N/A
National Haemophilia Council	11	Nil	N/A
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board	13	1	June 2014
National Treatment Purchase Fund	9	Nil	N/A
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland	23	Nil	N/A
Occupational Therapists Registration Board	13	6	Feb – July ‘16
Optical Registration Board	13	Nil	N/A
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland Council	21	Nil	N/A
Physiotherapists Registration Board	13	3	May/June '16
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	17	8	June ‘16
Radiographers Registration Board	13	2	Jan '16
Social Care Workers Registration Board	13	Nil	N/A
Social Workers Registration Board	13	1	Mar '16
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board	13	4	Feb - Apr '16
St. James’s Hospital Board	15	3	Decision made in 2013 that number of positions would reduce to 11.
Tallaght Hospital Board	11	Nil	N/A
Voluntary Health Insurance Board	12	1	PAS process to be undertaken
Total	456	59

The Hospital Group Boards have been set up on an administrative basis. In relation to Hospital Group Board appointments, Chairs are in place for all Hospital Groups, and Board members were appointed to three out of seven hospital groups - Saolta University Healthcare Group, UL Hospitals Group and the Children’s Hospital Group. The terms of office of the Saolta University Healthcare Group and UL Hospitals Group Boards are shortly due to expire. Given the scale of the change process involved in implementing Hospital Groups, the Hospital Group Boards must be populated with individuals with the expertise and competencies necessary to deliver on the strategic and change management agenda. My Department will shortly advertise, through the Public Appointments Service process, for nominees to all of the Hospital Group Boards excluding the Children's Hospital Group and I expect to be in a position to appoint Board members in the Autumn.

Board	Number of positions on the board as per legislation	Number of vacant positions
Children’s Hospital Group Board	12	1
South/South West Hospitals Group Board	12	11
University of Limerick Hospital Group Board	12	6
Dublin Midlands Hospital Group Board	12	11
Ireland East Hospital Group Board	12	11
Saolta University Healthcare Group Board	12	7
RCSI Hospital Group Board	12	11
Total	84	58