Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2007
211 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of appointments to State boards, State bodies or other like entities which he envisages making or nominating in the period 26 March 2007 to 31 May 2007; if he will identify any such board, body or entity involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11975/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraSome 2 appointments will be made to the Board of Enterprise Ireland before 31 May 2007. Some 2 appointments will be made to the Board of Shannon Development before 31 May 2007. Appointments to the Board are made by myself, with the agreement of the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. One appointment will be made to the Board of Forfás arising from the resignation of the acting Director General of Science Foundation Ireland. The legislation provides that the Director General of SFI must be on the Board of Forfás. Accordingly the incoming Director General of SFI will be appointed to the board of Forfás on appointment. However I do not expect this to happen until possibly July of this year.
Some 3 appointments to the Board of the NSAI will be made in April of this year. Some 13 appointments consisting of 12 members and a chairperson will be made to the Board of the National Consumer Agency, on enactment of the Consumer Protection Bill. It is most likely that the Bill will be enacted within the timeframe referred to in the question and that the Board of the Agency shall be appointed by the Minister prior to the start of June. Some 6 Rights Commissioners will be appointed before 31 May 2007, 5 under the terms of Towards 2016, and 1 arising from a vacancy.
As 4 members of the Board of the NCC are required to retire on 31 May each year, 4 appointments will be made subsequent to these retirements. Some 16 appointments will be made before 31 May 2007, to the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which has recently completed its term of office. The Group will be in place until end-2009. Appointments to the Advisory Board of the NERA may be made before 31 May 2007.
