Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Transport the vacancies which exist on State boards or organisations which he can fill; when they first arose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32649/08]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Transport the appointments made by him to State boards since he came to office, including remuneration and other details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32645/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 25 together. I will circulate a table listing the appointments I have made in the period since I took office as Minister for Transport on 14 June 2007. I have made these appointments with a view to the skills and expertise relevant to each particular position, specific arrangements pertaining to certain boards such as the appointment of worker directors, as well as recognising the need to consider gender balance on State boards. The following vacancies have arisen in recent months. A vacancy arose in August 2008 at the Galway Harbour Company, and two vacancies arose at the Dublin Airport Authority in the same month. Three vacancies exist at the Cork Airport Authority, two of which arose in July and August 2008, while one arose in August 2007. The Irish Aviation Authority has one vacancy, which arose in April 2008.

The position regarding the boards of different agencies can vary depending on the statutes which govern their existence. Under the terms of the Roads Act 1993, the board of the National Roads Authority shall consist of not less than ten and not more than 14 members. The board of the NRA has remained constant at 11 members for the past number of years and I am confident this is sufficient in numbers, experience and competence to discharge its statutory functions effectively. The legislation governing appointments to Córas Iompair Éireann and its subsidiaries provides for not more than 12 members on the board of CIE itself, and for not more than nine on the boards of the three subsidiaries. As has been the case with the NRA, not all positions have been filled all of the time.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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On a point of order, would it be of assistance to someone being considered for boards if he or she was chairperson of a Fianna Fáil cumann?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is not a point of order. The Minister should complete his answer.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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It is a point of fact.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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It certainly would not disqualify them. In the case of the CIE subsidiaries, the legislation historically provided that powers for the appointment of directors to the boards of Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann remained with the chairperson of the board of CIE itself, who made appointments with the consent of the Minister. This position changed very recently with the enactment of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, so the power for appointments to the subsidiary boards resides with me only since August 2008. In light of the recent enactment of the Dublin Transport Authority Act and its provisions for the planned absorption of the Dublin transportation office into the new authority, I have not yet made an appointment to fill one vacancy, which arose on the steering committee of the Dublin transportation office in January this year.

One vacancy arose on the board of the Railway Procurement Agency in January last year and one on the advisory council to the Commission for Taxi Regulation in November 2006. As has been my practice to date, I will identify candidates for these and other vacancies with a view to ensuring appropriate experience and competence at board level in our agencies, as well as with appropriate regard to gender balance.

I made two appointments to Drogheda Port Company some time in the past five or six months and I recently appointed people to the Shannon-Foynes Port Company. Being a member of a Fianna Fáil cumann does not disqualify people from being appointed to a board and neither does being a former adviser to a former Tánaiste from the Labour Party.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Was the Minister's reference at the end of his contribution an olive branch to the Labour Party?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am keeping my options open.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is always sensible in uncertain times.

I wish to address the specific issue of Cork Airport and the Cork Airport Authority. The Minister will be aware that Cork Airport is currently rudderless in its leadership. Due to deep divisions in the board of Cork Airport before the summer, the chair of the board stepped down and as a result there has been a vacancy since the beginning of June. The Minister knows in some detail the complicated situation that has resulted in stagnation at Cork Airport as a result of this lack of leadership. Cork Airport is expected to compete independently with Dublin Airport yet the manager of Cork Airport is an employee of the Dublin Airport Authority. This is an untenable situation in terms of a viable ambitious future for Cork Airport. The first requirement is a new chair for the existing Cork Airport board so that there can be some discussion and leadership about the way to take Cork Airport forward and implement what is Government policy agreed to by Fine Gael to have three separately run and owned airports in Dublin, Cork and Shannon. I ask the Minister to give the House an indication as to the reason he is continuing to delay the appointment of a new chairman for the Cork Airport Authority and when he plans to address that issue.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I intend to address the issue as soon as possible. I have a number of people in mind and some individuals have been approached. Cork Airport has had a very stormy 12 or 18 months and I want to ensure that the people who are appointed to the board will be effective so that the board will work effectively as a result. I will try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible but I will also try to appoint the best possible people so that there is not a repeat of what happened over the past 12 months.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Does the Minister receive regular reports from the directors appointed by him? I refer specifically to the board of Aer Lingus. Has the Minister received reports in recent weeks about the massive cost cutting and job cutting programme on which the current chief executive seems to be embarking?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will allow a final supplementary question from Deputy Coveney.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate it is not easy to find the best and most suitable person for what is a difficult job at Cork Airport but this is all the more reason we need somebody in place. Leaving politics aside, I appeal to the Minister to treat this issue as a priority. This is a huge issue in Cork city and county because the airport is an important gateway to that region of Ireland. There is a significant doubt about Cork Airport's ability to make decisions for itself and compete in the ambitious way it wants to. I appeal to the Minister to deal with this issue as a priority and get the right people in charge.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is a shareholder in Aer Lingus and the relationship between myself and the directors would therefore be very different from the relationship I have with those I have appointed to other organisations. Information cannot be freely passed from the directors to me as a shareholder because the company is quoted on the Stock Exchange. The Deputy will be aware of the previous difficulty. However I am generally informed from what the chief executive has said publicly and discussions between my officials and the chief executive about the Aer Lingus half-yearly report on which, as a shareholder, I received a briefing. There are various contacts but the ins and outs of such contacts are not the same with regard to Aer Lingus as they might be with some of the other companies and boards where I have made appointments.

I did not think Deputy Coveney was making a political point. I accept his question and I hope he will accept my answer in the same spirit. I want to do this in the right way and as quickly as possible.