Appointments to State Boards

Friday, 16 September 2016

Questions (1428)

Brendan Ryan

Question:

1428. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health the list of all vacancies that existed on 26 February 2016 and all positions that have arisen since included the date it became vacant for State boards or governing bodies under his control; the names of those appointed since the Government was formed; if the position was advertised and a shortlist provided to him by the Public Appointments Service; if the appointments were approved by the Cabinet; the positions under his control which are not subject to the PAS system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26085/16]

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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 (PAS) 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:

Table of Appointments since the Government was formed

Board	Appointee	Date Appointed	Position	Advertised Through PAS	Short-list provided by PAS
Radiographers Registration Board	Dr Mary O'Connor	26/05/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board	Ms Irene Gunning	26/05/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board	Ms Suzanne Keenan	26/05/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Dietitians Registration Board	Mr John Hanily	26/05/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Dietitians Registration Board	Mr Anthony Morris	26/05/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Food Safety Authority of Ireland	Mr Martin Higgins	15/06/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	11/01/2016
Food Safety Authority of Ireland	Ms Ros O'Shea	15/06/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	11/01/2016
Food Safety Authority of Ireland	Ms Mary Cullen	15/06/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	11/01/2016
Food Safety Authority of Ireland	Mr Derek Cunningham	15/06/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	11/01/2016
Health Insurance Authority	Mr Ian Britchfield	20/06/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	04/12/2015
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Dr Conor Deasy	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Ms Tess O'Donovan	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Mr Stephen Brady	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Mr Shane Knox	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Mr Martin Dunne	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	Professor Patrick Plunkett	30/06/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland	Mr Martin Higgins	12/07/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland	Mr Pat Dolan	12/07/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Radiographers Registration Board	Ms Alice Dorris	15/07/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	10/03/2016
Occupational Therapists Registration Board	Ms Aisling Culhane	15/07/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	10/03/2016
Occupational Therapists Registration Board	Mr Patrick Benson	15/07/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	10/03/2016
Dietitians Registration Board	Dr Teresa Bruen	15/07/2016	Ordinary Member	Yes	10/03/2016
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland	Mr Dermot Manning	31/07/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Voluntary Health Insurance Board	Mr John O'Dwyer	01/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member Re-Appointed)
Social Workers Registration Board	Mr Donal Gill	09/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member elected by Registrants)
Social Workers Registration Board	Ms Roberta Mulligan	09/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member elected by Registrants)
Social Workers Registration Board	Ms Colette McLoughlin	09/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (Member elected by Registrants)
Dublin Dental Hospital Board	Professor Derek Sullivan	09/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Health Insurance Authority	Ms Sheelagh Malin	17/08/2016	Chairperson (Government informed of appointment)	Yes	15/12/2015
Health and Social Care Professionals Council	Professor Bernard McCartan	17/08/2016	Chairperson (Government informed of appointment)	Yes	21/04/2016
Occupational Therapists Registration Board	Professor Catherine McCabe	24/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board	Dr Judith Pettigrew	24/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Radiographers Registration Board	Dr Cliona McGovern	24/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)
Social Workers Registration Board	Dr Perry Share	24/08/2016	Ordinary Member	No	N\A (External Nomination)

List of Vacancies to be Filled

Current Vacancies by Board	Maximum Number of Positions on the Board as per Legislation	Number of Vacant Positions	Date Vacancies Occurred	PAS Process
Dietitians Registration Board	13	3	Feb/March '16	No (Members to be Elected)
Dublin Dental Hospital Board	14	2	May '15/April '16	No (External nomination)
Health and Social Care Professionals Council	29	8	March '16	2 vacancies to be filled by PAS process. Others to be filled by external nominations
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board	13	1	June 2014	No (External Nomination)
Occupational Therapists Registration Board	13	4	Feb - July '16	1 vacancy to be filled by PAS, 3 by election
Physiotherapists Registration Board	13	3	May/June '16	2 vacancies to be filled by PAS process. 1 by election
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council	17	8	June '16	Yes
Consultative Council on Hepatitis C	8	8	July '16	No (External Nominations)
Social Workers Registration Board	13	2	Aug '16	Yes
National Haemophilia Council	11	7	July '16	2 vacancies to be filled by PAS process. Others by external nominations
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board	13	4	Feb - July '16	1 vacancy to be filled by PAS process. Others by election.
Voluntary Health Insurance Board	12	1	July '15	Yes

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 Group Boards, and Board members were appointed to three out of seven hospital groups - Saolta University Healthcare Group, University of Limerick Hospitals Group (UL) and the Children’s Hospital Group. The terms of office of the Saolta University Healthcare Group and University of Limerick Hospital Group Boards are due to expire soon. 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 has, through the Public Appointments Service, just advertised for expressions of interest in the position of Chairperson of the Saolta University Healthcare Group. It will shortly seek expressions of interest for members of the UL Hospitals Group Board and other Hospital Group Boards thereafter, excluding the Children's Hospital Group, and I expect to be in a position to start appoint Board members in the coming months.