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Appointments to State Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 March 2012

Thursday, 8 March 2012

Ceisteanna (129)

Shane Ross

Ceist:

131 Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of all appointments to State boards made by him, including any appointments to the position of chairperson shown separately; if the vacancies on the boards were publicly advertised; who out of any appointments made applied through the publicly advertised process, and the prospective nominees who went before the Oireachtas committee for questioning. [13309/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The information requested is outlined in the table:

Agency/Board

Name of Appointee (Chairperson highlighted)

Position advertised

An Bord Pleanála

Dr. Mary Kelly (Chairperson)

Yes

An Bord Pleanála

Ms Mary MacMahon

No

An Bord Pleanála

Mr. Conall Boland

No

Building Regulation Advisory Board

Mr. Aidan O’Connor (Departmental representative)

No

Building Regulation Advisory Board

Mr. Paul Kelly

No

Building Regulation Advisory Board

Mr. Conor Taaffe

No

Dormant Accounts Board

Mr. Michael Morley (Chairperson)

No (reappointed)

Dormant Accounts Board

Mr. Des Gunning

No (reappointed)

Environmental Protection Agency

Ms Laura Burke (Director General)

Yes

Housing Finance Agency

Dr. Michelle Norris (Chairperson)

Yes

Housing Finance Agency

Mr. John Hogan (Department of Finance nominee)

No

Housing Finance Agency

Mr. Phillip Nugent (Departmental representative)

No

Irish Water Safety

Ms Breda Collins (Chairperson)

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. John Considine

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Michael Cuddihy

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Tom Doyle

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Brendan McGrath

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Paul Murphy

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Seamus O’Neill

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Martin O’Sullivan

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Ms Anne Ryan

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Ms Lola O’Sullivan

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Christy McDonagh

Yes

Irish Water Safety

Mr. Tim O’Sullivan (Departmental representative)

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Mr. Rich Howlin (Chairperson)

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Mr. John O’Connor

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Mr. Eddie Lewis (Departmental representative)

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Ms Marie McLaughlin

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Mr. Peter Carey

No

Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Ms Ann McGuinness

No

Local Government Computer Services Board

Mr. Eddie Breen (Chairperson)

No

Local Government Computer Services Board

Mr. Michael Malone

No

Local Government Computer Services Board

Mr. Barry Quinlan (Departmental representative)

No

Local Government Management Services Board

Mr. Eddie Breen (Chairperson)

No

Local Government Management Services Board

Mr. Donal Enright (Departmental representative)

No

Local Government Management Services Board

Mr. Michael Malone

No

Local Government Management Services Board

Mr. Barry Quinlan (Departmental representative)

No

National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee

Mr. Tom Coughlan

No

Private Residential Tenancies Board

Mr. Tim Ryan

Yes

Private Residential Tenancies Board

Ms Tricia Sheehy Skeffington

Yes

Radiological Protection Institute Ireland

Professor William Reville (Chairperson)

Yes

Radiological Protection Institute Ireland

Dr. Paraic James

Yes

Radiological Protection Institute Ireland

Dr. Maurice Fitzgerald

No

Radiological Protection Institute Ireland

Dr. Patricia Cunningham

No

A notice was placed on my Department's website on 19 July, 2011 seeking expressions of interest, from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of state bodies under the aegis of my Department. The notice is updated regularly as specific vacancies arise. However, expressions of interest can be made at any time and will be kept on file in my Department for consideration as vacancies occur. All appointments are made in accordance with the appropriate legislation governing appointments to each body. In considering applications due regard is had to Government policy regarding gender balance on State Boards.

A number of different statutory processes are involved in appointments to State boards. In some cases statutory selection procedures must be followed or nominations must be sought from independent nominating panels before appointments are made by the Government or by the Minister. In a number of situations, only some appointments to the body concerned are made by the Minister, or appointments are made with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Boards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bord Pleanála are executive in nature and members are employed on a full time salaried basis. The appointments as Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála and Director General of the EPA were made after competitions held by the Public Appointments Service.

The Chair of the Board for the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA) has been re-appointed on an interim basis pending enactment of legislation in respect of the HSCA.

The following members were appointed to the Board of Pobal, a not for profit company under the aegis of my Department, by Government:

Mr. Séamus Boland (Chair),

Mr. Thomas Maguire,

Mr. Liam Keane,

Ms Siobhan McLoughlin,

Ms Jennifer McHugh,

Mrs. Mari Hurley.

Article 3 of the Articles of Association of Pobal requires the Minister to consider nominations received from a list of stakeholders and the Social Partners defined by Government in 2005. The list comprises:

National Social Partners

Social Partners party to the Sustaining Progress Agreement;

and Stakeholders

Area and Community Partnership,

County childcare Committees, and

City and County Managers Association.

A consultation process was conducted in June/July 2011 and the Minister considered 22 nominations received from the Stakeholders and the National Social Partners in bringing forward proposals to Government for the appointments to the vacant positions on the board.

Before being formally appointed to the Radiological Protection Institute Ireland, Professor William Reville appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and Gaeltacht, on 23 November 2011. A request has been sent to the Oireachtas Committee to meet Dr. Michelle Norris, Chairperson of the Housing Finance Agency.

My Department has put in place procedures whereby the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht will be notified of nominations as Chairperson of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department prior to their appointment. Chairs of State Bodies are in general available to appear before the relevant Oireachtas committees.

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