Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I make appointments to the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, in accordance with the provisions of the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006 and the National Economic and Social Council (Alteration of Composition) Order 2010 - SI 603 of 2010. The Statistics Act 1993 gives me authority to make appointments to the National Statistics Board, NSB. I have delegated this authority to the Minister of State at my Department and Chief Whip, Deputy Regina Doherty. In the case of the NESC, the legislation provides that I appoint up to 20 members on the basis of nominations from the organisations or interests set out, with up to six public servants and up to eight independent members. The independent members are mainly from the academic sector.

The Statistics Act 1993 provides for an eight-member NSB, including the director general of the CSO, ex officio, one representative each from my Department and the Department of Finance, two nominated by the Minister of State and three by organisations representative of the users of official statistics and providers of information under the Act.

One vacancy existed on the NESC on 26 February 2016 from one of the nominating organisations. No vacancies existed on the NSB. Since then, the five-year term of the full NESC has expired. I have not yet reappointed a council. On 8 September 2016, Mr. John Callinan, second Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach, resigned from the NSB and was replaced on 15 September 2016 by Mr. John Shaw, assistant secretary in my Department. There have been no other appointments to the NSB since this Government was formed.

Under the legislation, appointments to either the NSB and NESC do not require Government approval. Where appropriate and consistent with the legislation, future vacancies in the NESC and NSB will be advertised on www.stateboards.iein accordance with the guidelines on appointments to State boards.

See this speech in context