Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023
214. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide the number of public servants servicing on State boards since 2006 in an independent capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55910/23]
View answerI am taking ‘independent capacity’ to refer to serving public servants not appointed to a State board in an ex-officio capacity.
The State Boards under the aegis of my Department have advised as follows:
The following members were serving on the Central Bank Commission in an independent capacity as follows:
Blanaid Clarke - 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2018
John Fitzgerald -1 October 2010 to 26 October 2014
Alan Ahearne - 8 March 2011 to 7 March 2020
Patricia Byron - 1 July 2021 to date (term ends 31 December 2023)
John Trethowan -11 September 2018 to 21 August 2021
From 2013-2017, the Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo) had one public servant and one observer from the Central Bank as members. ReBo was functionally wound-down in July 2017 and from 2018 to date, the Board consists of two public servants and one observer from the Central Bank.
Since 2006, the only serving public servant to serve on the Council of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO), the FSOB until the end of 2017) and the FSPO since 01 January 2018, is Mr. Don Gallagher. Mr. Gallagher was appointed by the Minister of Finance in January 2017, and at that time, he was Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Health Insurance Authority (“HIA”). Mr. Gallagher was reappointed for a further term by the Minister in January 2022. Until such time as Mr. Gallagher retired from his post as CEO of the HIA, he came under the One Person One Salary (“OPOS”) rule and as such, was not in receipt of a Council fee. Following his retirement from the public sector in December 2020, Mr. Gallagher commenced receiving a Council fee, from 2021.
Members of the Board of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council as follows:
- Dr Martina Lawless from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020
- Professor John McHale from 30 June 2011 to 29 June 2015
- Dr Donal Donovan from 30 June 2011 to 29 June 2013 2020
- Seamus Coffey from 01 January 2016 to 31 December 2019
- Professor Alan Barrett from 30 June 2011 to 25 May 2015
- Dr Adele Bergin from 01 January 2021 to 31 December 2024
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) had one public servant serving on its board. A National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) employee, John Mulcahy, assigned to NAMA at Executive level, was appointed to the NAMA Board by the Minister for Finance on 7 March 2012, serving until his resignation from both positions on 17 January 2014. Mr Gallagher did not receive any additional remuneration for his membership of the NAMA Board.
