Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
444. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Student Grants Appeals Board has no memorandum of association or formally agreed operating procedures; and if he will work with the current board to put one in place before the change of board in September 2021. [32933/21]
View answer445. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will meet the current Student Grants Appeals Board before September 2021 to discuss its work and to ensure it will continue to operate with a similar ethos as the current board. [32934/21]
View answer446. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will allow the Student Grant Appeals Board as an independent entity to source its own legal opinion and provide the funds to do so rather than relying upon his Department to provide legal advice. [32935/21]
View answer447. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no call has been published to appoint new Student Grant Appeals Board members and that there is serious concern on behalf of some board members that further delay will make transfer to a new board in time for the September 2021 hand-over challenging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32936/21]
View answer448. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the frequency with which there has been engagement between the Student Grant Appeals Board and the responsible Minister, Secretary General or Assistant Secretary General in the past five years. [32937/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 444, 445, 446, 447 and 448 together.
The Student Grant Appeals Board (the Board) was established under Section 25 of the Student Support Act 2011 and under Section 21(4)(a) is independent in the performance of its functions. The current Board comprises of a Chairperson and 10 ordinary members.
Under Section 25(14) of the Act, administrative support may be furnished to the Board as necessary, this includes access to legal advice.
Updated Terms of Reference for the Student Grant Appeals Board were finalised by my Department in March 2019 and presented to the Board.
The term of office of the Appeals Board is for 5 years and the current Board is due to be replaced in September 2021. The Public Appointments Service is the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil Service. The Public Appointments Service also aims to provide an open, efficient and effective gateway and process to identify top quality people for consideration by Ministers for appointment to State Boards. Vacancies to the Board will be informed to the public through the website www.stateboards.ie prior to end of June 2021.
Since my appointment in June 2020, I have not met with the Board, however the Board have been requested to submit a report of its activities for 2020 for review, as set out under Section 27 of the Act.
