11 Iúil 2011, 18:22
Heads of CIE, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann to Attend Committee
11 July 2011
The recently appointed chairpersons to the board of four of Ireland’s most important public agencies will meet with an Oireachtas Committee for the first time tomorrow, (12th) at 2:15 pm in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.
Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht will question the recent appointees to the position of chairperson of CIE, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann.
This is the first occasion on which an Oireachtas Committee will have the opportunity to engage with those nominated to chair State bodies. It will also enable the nominees to discuss their plans for these agencies and allow Committee members to question the appointees on their priorities for Ireland’s public transport service.
Committee Chairman, Ciaran Lynch TD said;
“The Committee is looking forward to having a robust discussion with these individuals. For the first time, it will be an opportunity for elected public representatives to consider the priorities of those who have been appointed to oversee some of the State’s most influential bodies. It will also provide a forum for appointees to outline their vision for the future of these organisations.
Some of the issues the Committee is likely to put to these incumbents are;
• What plans do they have these agencies?
• What makes them suitable for these hugely important roles?
• How do they intend to operate during these difficult economic times?
• What are their priorities for the first 18 months?
• What are their salary/bonus entitlements?
Committee Chairman, Ciaran Lynch TD said;
“This is a most welcome development. In the past, sometimes the impression has existed that chairmanships of such agencies was a closed shop and that no opportunity existed for proper engagement with regard to the appointment of candidates.
It must be remembered that organisations such as CIE, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann are hugely significant in the everyday lives of millions of people. Therefore, I believe it is only proper that those charged with the substantial responsibility of managing their efficient supervision should outline their bona fides and clearly state their vision for the agencies in an open public forum.
The appointees for the positions are
· Chairperson of CIE - Vivienne Jupp;
· Chairperson of Dublin Bus - Kevin Bonner;
· Chairperson of Bus Éireann – Paul Mallee;
· Chairperson of Iarnród Éireann – Phil Gaffney.
The selection process to fill these positions was a new departure. The process was broadened to include public advertisements in the media and on the Department’s website seeking expressions of interest. More than 270 expressions of interest were received, including two of the four appointees.
ENDS
Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Office
01 618 4484
087 6949926
The appointees
Vivienne Jupp is currently a management consultant, and formerly a global managing director of Accenture. She was the first female partner in Europe in Accenture in 1988. She has had a number of Government appointments including:
Chair, Information Society Strategy Committee (1996);
Chair, Information Society Committee (1997-2000);
Member, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (1998-2009).
· Kevin Bonner is currently a consultant, formerly Secretary General of Department of Labour (1990-1993) and Department of Enterprise and Employment (1993-1997). He has a very strong background in industrial relations and employment law. He has had a number of Government appointments including:
· Chairman of Marine Institute;
· Member of NESC and Council of ESRI;
· (Currently) Chairman of Ordnance Survey Ireland.
· Paul Mallee is the current President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Ireland. His background is in management consultancy, mostly in the transport field in Ireland and abroad.
· Phil Gaffney was formerly managing director of the Hong Kong Metro, having also served as Chief Engineer and Operations Director during his 28 years with that company. He retired to Co Cork in 2005, was appointed to the Board of Iarnród Éireann in January 2006 and reappointed in May 2009. He has also recently served as Chairman of Crossrail Rail Systems Expert Panel in the UK.
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamon Coghlan, Independent