Skip to main content
Normal View

National Children's Hospital Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2019

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

Questions (386)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

386. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the legislation that will be utilised or invoked in order to make additional appointments and increase the number of members on the board of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board in view of the fact that under SI No. 246 of 2007, the board’s membership is prescribed as 13 and there is no provision within the statutory instrument for exceeding the membership of 13 through further appointments. [17700/19]

View answer

Written answers

The process for appointing the Chairperson and members to the Board of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is set out in the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (Establishment) Order 2007.  In order to better reflect the competency requirements for the Board for the next phase of the project, the Establishment Order was amended by the Children’s Health Act 2018 in December to provide that the Board shall consist of a Chairperson and ordinary members who are persons who have experience and expertise in relation to matters connected to the functions of the Board.   

 In May 2018, the Chairperson of the Board advised my Department of the importance of maintaining continuity on the Board at the critical phase of the project and indicated that Board members were willing to be reappointed, and following the appointment process then in existence, I issued letters of reappointment to the outgoing Chairperson and outgoing members of the Board.  However, the appointment letters made clear to all parties that their term of office would be until such time as new appointments were made in line with the new legislative provision.  

The Children’s Health Act 2018 includes a provision which, on commencement by means of a Ministerial Order, provides that the Board in existence at the time of commencement will cease to be in office, thereby enabling new appointments to be made to the Board.   There is currently one vacancy on the Board.

Top
Share