Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 25:

In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following:“Staff of Board

17.(1) The Minister may appoint such and so many of his or her officers as he or she may determine to be members of staff of the Board.

(2) The terms and conditions of service of a member of the staff of the Board shall be such as may be determined from time to time by the Minister with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

(3) There shall be paid by the Minister to the members of the staff of the Commission such remuneration and allowances as, from time to time, the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determines.

(4) The members of the staff of the Board shall perform their functions under the direction and control of the chief executive.

(5) Appointments under this section shall be subject to the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 and the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005.”.

We are discussing amendments Nos. 25 to 33, inclusive. In short, they cover the obligations on the chief executive and staff of the board. Amendment No. 25 provides that the staff will be civil servants appointed by the Minister under the usual terms and conditions of such appointments. Amendments Nos. 26 to 30, inclusive, insert a series of new sections providing for a chief executive of the board. The role of the chief executive will be to manage and control generally the board staff, administration and business. The chief executive will have to prepare the accounts for audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The chief executive is to be accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts and other Oireachtas committees. The amendments also set out the requirements for an annual report.

I will wait for Deputy Connolly to make a contribution on amendment No. 31. Amendments Nos. 32 and 33 deal with sections 12 and 13.

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