Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a fundamental shift. There will be one access point for the general public and anyone interested in serving on a State board. It will take some time to fully populate the website but I intend every State board to set out the requirements for membership of such board as determined by the relevant Minister.

To address the Deputy's questions, I note that the final determination will, of course, be made by an elected Minister under the law. Who else would be accountable to the House by way of parliamentary questions and so on and answerable for the decisions that are made? That is the way it should be. There will be one access point, however, and Ministers will not be able to appoint people who have not come through the Public Appointments Service system unless they are reappointing members who have shown they have the ability to serve properly or where the law providing for the membership of a particular State board refers to another nominating body. For example, some boards are populated by direct nominees of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, IBEC or other designated bodies under statute.

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