Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 10 October 2013
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children
Children and Youth Affairs: Discussion
10:05 am
Mr. Jim Breslin:
When the committee considers the child and family agency legislation and compares it with that establishing other agencies, it will note that there is more in it on governance than is commonly found. It is more specific on what the Minister and Department will do and initiate in terms of the performance framework and performance statements. There is more about the particular roles of the board members. Uniquely, the set of responsibilities of the board vis-à-vis management are set out. Particular responsibilities for the chief executive, in addition to those that will be delegated from the board, are covered. We have gone further than most public agencies in trying to set out a governance framework. Another factor worth noting is that there is a specific requirement in the legislation for the board to bring forward a code of governance. The board itself will have to adopt a set of governance requirements that will apply throughout the organisation, setting out various levels of authorisation that will be needed for various decisions. That will be submitted to the Minister within six months of the establishment of the board. We have reflected on the point made by the Deputy and we hope to continue to prioritise the matter. The Minister's appointments to the board should reflect a strong wish that good governance and a corporate approach to an organisation that will have 4,000 staff and a budget of €600 million should be at the heart of the operations of the board. That was a part of the decision-making process.
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