Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2014
7. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of all State board appointments since general election 2011; the person who recommended each appointment; the credentials of those appointed; if the vacancy was publicly advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39288/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the body corporate for the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), the only State Agency under the aegis of my Department. The board of NESDO is currently comprised of the Chair and Deputy Chair of the NESC, both of whom are civil servants from my Department and serve in an ex-officio capacity.
Section 18 of the Statistics Act 1993 sets out the composition and procedures for appointing the National Statistics Board. It states that the National Statistics Board shall consist of eight members comprising the following seven persons who shall be appointed by the Taoiseach:
- five persons of proven ability and experience in relevant fields - two of whom shall be nominated by the Taoiseach and three of whom shall be nominated by such organisation or organisations as the Taoiseach considers to be representative of the users of official statistics and providers of information under this Act
- Assistant Secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of the Taoiseach
- Assistant Secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of Finance together with the Director General of the Central Statistics Office, ex officio.
Since 2011 there have been 10 appointments to the NSB as set out below. A vacancy was filled by an Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Taoiseach in 2012.
The term of appointment of the Board expired in 2013. The Chairperson, and the three Civil Servants serving in an ex-officio capacity were re-appointed. The remaining positions were advertised on the Department of the Taoiseach and NSB websites, and the vacancies were filled in March 2014.
|
Name |
Organisation |
Date of Appointment |
|
Mr. John Callinan |
Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach |
September 2012 Reappointed in October 2013 |
|
Dr. Patricia O'Hara |
NSB Chairperson, Adjunct Professor at the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI Maynooth |
October 2013 |
|
Mr. Michael McGrath |
Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance |
October 2013 to March 2014 |
|
Mr. Padraig Dalton |
Director General of CSO (ex-officio) |
October 2013 |
|
Mr. John McCarthy |
Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance [replaced Mr. Michael McGrath] |
March 2014 |
|
Ms. Rowena Dwyer |
Chief Economist - Irish Farmers Association |
March 2014 |
|
Mr. Tom Geraghty |
General Secretary, Public Service Executive Union |
March 2014 |
|
Dr. Helen Johnston |
Senior Social Policy Analyst, National Economic and Social Council |
March 2014 |
|
Mr. Gerard O'Neill |
Chairman, Amárach Research |
March 2014 |
