Appointments to State Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2012

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Ceisteanna (615)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

661 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown of the number of appointments that have been made to State boards by him since he came to office including the names of the appointees and the boards they have been appointed to; the number of these appointments that have been made using new procedures involving the advertising of such posts on his Department’s websites and the interview of the chairperson of boards by Oireachtas committee; if he will highlight situations where this process has not occurred; and the reason it has not occurred in each case. [5052/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)

The information requested by the Deputy regarding appointments to State Boards is available on my Department's website. Since my Department advertised new procedures for appointments to State boards on Friday 8th April 2011, all appointments from that date have followed these procedures. All Chairpersons whom I have appointed, with the exception of Mr. Tom Wall, have appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht.

I appointed Mr. Wall as Chairperson of the RPA on an interim basis until 18 April 2012 pending the merger of the RPA and the National Roads Authority. Given the short nature of his appointment, it was not considered necessary for him to appear before the Committee. The Chairperson for the merged body will be designated in advance of the completion of the merger and will appear before the Committee prior to his/her appointment.