Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
862. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of personnel in his Department at Principal Officer level or above who, on retiring from that position, were subsequently appointed to a State or semi-State board over the past ten years. [34924/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour details the requirements for all staff members on the acceptance of outside appointments following resignation or retirement where the nature and terms of such appointment could lead to a conflict of interest or the perception of such. In addition, it also states that civil servants who hold positions which are “designated positions” for the purposes of the Ethics Acts shall not, within twelve months of resigning or retiring from the service, accept an offer of appointment from an employer outside the Civil Service or accept an engagement in a particular consultancy project, where the nature and terms of such appointment or engagement could lead to a conflict of interest, without first obtaining approval from the appropriate authority.
The filling of board posts for bodies under the aegis of my Department is informed by guidance issued by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) which codifies the processes for the filling of vacancies.
In line with DPENDR's guidance, my Department uses the Public Appointments Service (PAS) which has responsibility for managing an accessible and transparent process. Applications are made through the dedicated website www.stateboards.ie . This website is used by PAS to both inform the public of vacancies and to collate expressions of interest in vacancies. An assessment process is undertaken by PAS leading to the creation of a list of candidates suitable for appointments to boards. My Department does not retain records of the previous employment history of the board member who has been assessed though a transparent recruitment process as being suitable for the position.
A full list of board members serving on State Boards under the remit of my department is available through the website below.
Boards under Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (stateboards.ie)
