Bernard Allen
Ceist:1312 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Transport the appointments made by him to boards, agencies or committees operating under the aegis of his Department from 17 April 2002 to date. [17199/02]
Written Answers. - Departmental Appointments.
The information requested by the Deputy, including appointments made by my predecessor, is outlined in the following table.
|
Board |
Name |
Date of Appointment |
|
Aer Lingus |
Mr. Ivor Fitzpatrick |
5 June 2002 |
|
IAA |
Mr. Donal Geaney(reappointed) |
12 May 2002 |
|
CIE |
Margaret Walsh |
5 June 2002 |
|
Medical Bureau of Road Safety |
Prof. Denis Cusack |
1 July 2002 |
|
National Safety Council |
Grainne Harte |
5 June 2002 |
Bernard Allen
Ceist:1313 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Transport the solicitors or barristers who were appointed since July 1997 as members or chairpersons of any board or committee or other body, advisers, consultants, or as holders of any other position or office other than judicial office under the aegis of or in his Department; the name of the person in each case; if these persons are a solicitor or barrister; the position to which these persons were appointed; the date of appointment; the date these persons ceased to hold the position if applicable; the remuneration paid since July 1997; and if the holding of particular legal qualifications or experience was a requirement for the position in question. [17256/02]
The specific appointments of persons with legal qualifications made since July 1997 are as follows. This includes information in relation to the Department of Transport but not in respect of functions transferred from the Department of Public Enterprise to other Departments in June 2002 nor does it include general staff who may have legal qualifications.
In relation to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS, Mr. Brendan Gogarty, a barrister, was appointed a board member on 1 April 2000 with no remuneration. A legal qualification was not a requirement for the position. The practice has been to have a representative of the legal profession on the board. Professor Denis A. Cusack, a barrister, was appointed a board member on 1 July 2002 with no remuneration. Similarly a legal qualification was not a requirement for the position. Professor Cusack is also the director of the MBRS with a salary from July 1997 to July 2002 of €355,580.71. A legal qualification was not a requirement for this position.
William Prasifka was appointed Commissioner for Aviation Regulation on 27 February 2001 in accordance with section 11 of the Aviation Regulation Act, 2001. The Civil Service Commission ran the selection process for this post. Mr. Prasifka obtained his legal qualification in the United States and worked in the area of competition law both in the US and Ireland. However, a legal qualification was not a specific requirement in the competition for the post of Commissioner for Aviation Regulation. Mr. Prasifka's remuneration is in accordance with the advertised terms of the post.
The Minister established the three member Airport Charges Appeals Panel on 12 November 2001 in accordance with section 40 of the Aviation Regulation Act, 2001, to consider appeals against the determination of the Commission for Aviation Regulation on airport charges at State airports issued on 26 August 2001. Mr. Rory Brady, senior counsel, was appointed chairman of the panel. The panel completed its work within the prescribed period of two months and now stands dissolved in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Although it is not a requirement of the Act for any appointee to the panel to have a legal qualification, it was felt that between them, the appointees should have a range of expertise in the legal, economic and technical fields given the particular nature of the work involved in the appeals process. Mr. Brady's fees and expenses in connection with his work were €16,498 inclusive of VAT.
On 11 May 2001, Mr. Patrick Keane, senior counsel, was appointed to carry out a review of the public inquiry which was held into the non-fatal accident to the Aer-Lingus DC3 near Birmingham, UK, on 1 January 1953, which had been carried out by Judge Thomas Teevan. Mr. Keane's appointment was governed by the qualification requirements laid down in SI 205 of 1997 Air Navigation (Notification and Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Regulations, 1997, which stipulated that a review shall be conducted by a barrister of not less than ten years' experience or by a person with aeronautical knowledge.
The public inquiry took place on 22 March 2002 and Mr. Keane was assisted by two technical assessors. Mr. Keane's remuneration was €37,093.62, including travelling expenses, which was agreed by the Attorney General's office.